Magnolia

I must confess that, for me,
the flower of the magnolia is most beautiful
when life has almost ebbed from it.
These are the twilit hours
when the petals flag and falter,
when their immaculate ivory texture dims,
when they glow with a ghostly radiance that
seems to come from another world.
 

 
 
Note: All week long, The Daily Gardener has been sharing quotes from the author Beverley Nichols, who was born on Monday of this week in 1898.
A prolific writer, Nichols is best remembered for his gardening books.

Today I'm featuring excerpts from his book called Forty Favourite Flowers.
It is exactly as described, Nichols sharing his top selections; the flowers he loved most in his garden.
Nichols arranged this book simply, using alphabetical order. Then he just shares some of his favorites.