Magnolia Trees in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

In my last blog post I showed you the exquisite Japanese Hill and Pond Garden located in a portion of  the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.  Today I'd like to show you some of the photographs I took of the large Magnolia trees that were located in many areas of the 52 acre garden. 

This large Magnolia tree was an explosion of flowers!

Considering that Magnolia flowers are produced more abundantly in southern areas, rather than in northern areas, I thought this tree was such a wonderful sight to see!

I found this Magnolia tree in the Osborne Garden section of Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  It is a semi-formal garden with beautiful Italianate landscaping.

Ten wisteria-draped pergolas frame an emerald lawn in the Osbourne Garden, and various flowering shrubs, trees, and floral beds are located here.

The wisteria had not yet bloomed at the time of my visit last weekend, but the paths on either side of the pergolas were lined with blooming trees.

The focal point of the plaza in the Osbourne Garden is a water basin which is more than 17 feet in diameter. The fountain sits within a semicircle of limestone benches with curious acoustic properties. Sit at one end, and you can whisper clearly to someone sitting at the opposite side. These “whispering benches” are a much beloved feature to this lush space.

Another area in which to see Magnolia tress is Magnolia Plaza, which is sweetly scented with 72 Magnoilia trees highlighting 17 varieties!

Magnolia Plaza was first planted in the spring of 1932, and was designed by Harold Caparn, the garden's landscape architect from 1912 to 1945 The Magnolia trees bloom in different stages from March through June.
In the center of Magnolia Plaza is the compass and armillary sphere. According to the Brooklyn Botanic website: "The sphere is made of bronze bands representing the principle celestial circles and constellations. A thin bronze rod, or gnomon, passes through the center of the sphere, pointing north and casting a shadow on the inside of the sphere, which can be used to tell the approximate time."

"M" is for Magnolia, so I am joining Jenny Matlock's "Alphabe Thursday" blog event today!  Visit her blog to see what other bloggers have come up with for the letter "M," and please come back to my blog on Saturday to see the spectacular cherry trees in bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden!