Great article, Neil. Since I grew up in Wisconsin & never saw a magnolia, Cece, I might think that it was too cold for them. There are both white flowered & pink flowered in our area (zone 6a) bothe I don't know enough to know the species. We have forsythia for now & the arrowood viburnum for later. Viburnums were here when the house was built as the land was naturally colonized old pasture. We also have a crabapple--I assume bird planted. You can come & photograph it at any time, Neil.
