Unknown plants

Hi guys,

I've recently inherited a garden and I need to identify a couple of plants. One is a tree that is blossoming now and producing some gorgeous flowers and another is a shrub (I think) that produced lovely red flowers earlier in the spring but has now produced what looks like a green fruit of some kind but I'm not sure if it's edible.

Could you have a look at the photos and tell me what you think?

Cheers

Jo

Flowers looks very like Magnolia although they would have flowered by now.
The fruit is Apple looking at the leaves and shape.
Frank.

I am wondering it the first one is an hibiscus or similar if it is flowering now-perhaps if we could have picture of the whole tree/shrub??

Shows you how much I know, I can't tell the difference between a tree and a shrub

Here's a picture of both shrubs.

the pink one is a mallow  and the other one looks like a immature quince to me

Well between you I think you've got it sorted. Having done some research following your suggestions it looks like I have a hibiscus shrub and a quince shrub.

Thank you muchly

2 is definitely quince, probably an ornamental variety as I don't think the truly edible ones are red. Mine's a white one but has identical fruit right now. A while ago I asked on this forum if the fruits could be used for anything. I can't do links yet but if you search for 'quince' then look in the forum bit you should find the thread.

OK Frank, in future check out your reference books when making a guess, Quince I should have know having eaten plenty of quince jam.
Hibiscus I am afraid I would never have guessed coming from the North East it would be either an indoor plant or grown in a sheltered very sunny spot, I saw plenty of it  and Neria (Oleander) abroad with the army with its wonderful scent.
As it is inhereted the person putting the plant in must have known what they were doing. No more guesses then.

Frank.

And the frut of Chaenomeles IS edible. We are just witing for ours to be ripe to make our batch of Quince jelly.

http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/fruit-and-veg/-quince-/4607.html

Jo, I've tried to post the link to the earlier quince thread. It may work and on there are suggestions about roasting it inside a pheasant and grating to use in jelly (the one that's like jam). Of course, having just inherited a garden you've no doubt got plenty of more urgent calls on your time!

Yes - hibiscus - but the hardy autumn flowering one, not the tender houseplant.  Likes a sunny situation and very valuable flowering August onwards.  Another question though - I have Bluebird and it is flowering blue on one side and pink on the other.  Is this common in hibiscus?

The chaenomeles (quince) used to be known as japonica because the flowers look Japanese (?).  The fruit will be hard and inedible as fruit, but cook with a little water and then strain through a nylon mesh jelly bag.  Use 1 pound of sugar to each pint of the resultant juice to make a beautifull pale pink jelly which you can use instead of jello when making a strawberry or raspberry flan.  The rtemaining mush in the jelly bag goes in the compost!