Each winter, I wait with anticipation for the first flowers of the year, snowy white magnolias and blushing tulipifera blooms. I like to visit the examples at Strybing Arboretum, some of which are shown here. Landscapers with a sense of beauty get a vote of approval as I spy local examples in my own neighborhood. The Magnolias typically are evergreen with dark leathery leaves, while the Tulipiferas have pinkish-tinged white blossoms on nude branches, with the leaves budding out as the flowers fade into spring.
