Let's take a more careful look at magnolias. It's easy to see them just as lawn trees - popular in old-fashioned front gardens. But, as a plant group, they are much more diverse. And almost without exception they're spectacularly beautiful. Some become massive 30-metre trees. Others are compact enough to thrive in a container. Most bloom in early spring, but there are also summer magnolias.

For centuries, Japan has produced some of the world's finest floral illustrations. Many show stark simplicity - a contorted tree or a fewblossoms on a naked winter twig. Flowers on bare bleak stems look wonderful in real life, too. And Japanese quince, Chaenomeles, is one of the best winter shrubs for that. Japonicas - as they're sometimes called - grow naturally as untidy, sprawling bushes. But, in small or medium gardens, they look prettiest when trained on a wall or fence.