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Magnolia


londoneye

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I am looking for a Magnolia which flowers in summer, rather than spring, and which will flower within a couple of years of purchase.   Of course I understand it depends on the size you buy, but I am prepared to buy something reasonably large.  

I have been on internet today - French and English sites and can't seem to find one which fits my 'wish list'.   I can find one or other of criteria but seemingly not both.     However, there are so many varieties that I am wondering if I have missed some, and what I want does exist.
Does anyone have any ideas ?   Size is immaterial, as in final size - can be as large as you like !!

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I've always wanted one, but never had a large enough garden in UK, so now seems my chance.    I know there are summer flowering varieties now, but the one which took my fancy was going to take 10 years to flower, and I am just not sure I will be here to enjoy it (in France I mean, not on earth !)
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This isn't going to help much, but...

I've a summer flowering variety, we only planted it last year, and it flowered this summer.  I just went outside (dodging the torrential rain) to check, but it's lost its little white label, so I can't tell you the variety.  The only thing I can say is that the magnolias that flower in spring tend to be deciduous, where the summer flowering ones keep their leaves all year round.

The virginiana flowers in June, July, August and September though, so that might be the kind of thing to look for.

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Yes, the Grandiflora was the one I really liked, but then after further research (Royal Horticultural Society site I think), I found that it could take up to 10 years to flower.

Looked at the sieboldii also, which I quite like, but thought this one also took quite some time to flower.

Cat, thanks for going out in the rain (is there anywhere where it is not raining right now?).     If you come back to this post, could you do me a favour and look at Russethouse's link and see if that is the Magnolia in your garden (if it stops raining !).   If it is, could you let me know what sort of size it was when you bought it please, as I can only seem to find quite a small version of the tree in France at moment.

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I've looked at photos of all the magnolia's mentioned in this thread, and my tree looks most like the grandiflora , based mostly on the fact that the undersides of the leaves are a bit on the brownish side, it has huge flowers with big cone-shaped stamens, it flowers in the summer, and it is evergreen.

Some sites do say that it can take up to 10 years to flower, but if you do as we did, and buy a small tree already in bud, you really can't go far wrong, IMHO.

When we bought ours it was between 4 and 5 feet high.  We bought it from the local pepinerist (sp ???), so they shouldn't be too hard to find.

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Note we live in Haute Vienne near Coussac Bonneval and as most people found plants/flowering seasons all adrift.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Almost everything is flowering 3-4 weeks earlier.

Magnolia sieboldii is a decidious shrub/tree--wide spreading -height4.8metres/5.12metres wide.Has cup shaped flowers,crimson anthers and flowers  in late spring to late autumn.

most pepinieres will order if not in stock.

 

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Hmmm not too sure what kind of soil we have to be honest.   Haven't seen any Magnolias in near vicinity, but then again most people seem to get all their plants and trees from neighbours, so unsurprisingly all gardens seem to have identical plants/trees in ...

What other sorts of plants grow in same soil as Magnolia, and I can tell you if I have any, which are growing fine, or have seen any locally.

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Well since I have no husband but a wife and cat the answer is no!! which fete ?

Actually I am the one fingered  typist( almost computer literate) and my wife the garden expert .She  is secretary of  a garden club if you are interested which meets again in september  at jumilhac le grande .We ave french dutch and english members and it meets montly wed.evening and arranges talks and garden visits.

If you are interested to visit the meeting and our garden then send me a private message.We have been here7 years and have an english style garden .

My interest is sitting on lawn mower as I am not knowledgable to be left in the garden without pulling up what I thought were weeds and quickly removed them from the compost heap when informed they were honeysuckle.

With current weather I think every one will be building ponds as they are easier to manage !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Wasn't you then !!!      Sorry, for some reason I always assume that people on this site are female - no idea why I do that.

The fete was local to me, around 20 minutes from you, but the couple we met came from just outside Coussac.

Agree ref ponds; we constantly run out to see if our new swimming pool is over-flowing (thank god i am not in England or that would be seen as bragging).

Thank you for the information ref garden club; I would be interested, if time-permits.   Will see how things go and pm you if it looks like I might have any free time.   Unfortunately, got to start pointing the other side of our barn soon; oh if only I could do the gardening instead !!

 

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At least weeding is easy to do when ground is wet !you could put up a movable tent or rig up plastic sheet on poles.-I DON,T WANT TO HEAR YOUR EXCUSES!

We also have pool but with little use this year -perhap I will make a fish pond out of it!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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