I'm looking at my single bloom right now, Pegi - it's all brown and flat. But I have another bud, so I'll go through this excitement again in a day or two.
What a great thing your city is doing! Please do choose a magnolia. If mine manages to make it to maturity in my lifetime, then I won't have to worry about one bloom a year - there will always be another one to take its place, all summer long.
