Have any of you green fingered lot planted a MAGNOLIA shrub/tree ?

[NomDePlume]

I really love them and fancy 1 or 2 (prob a pair) for my back garden. Are they quite sensitive to being moved etc ? Easy(ish) to look after ? I'm assuming that as they are a shrub in their early years they can't be that fragile, am I wrong ? I don't really want to waste £70 on a tree that I stand a good change of killing !

Ours (a Stellata) was a young shrub when we moved here NdeP and despite their saying they would move it, the sellers didn't, which makes me wonder about their tolerance of replanting.
But it is certainly robust in situ. We have reasonable but rather heavy clayey topsoil that retains water, and it has flourished. There are several large and very beautiful "proper" magnolias in the neighbourhood so clearly the soil suits them.
Ours has also survived some rather gumby-ish "pruning" from our builder (not requested). It must be tough!
We love it. It is right at the front of the house and although the blossom is short-lived it is a pretty tree and we hear passersby commenting on it appreciatively.

I don't know how they grow in the UK, but I am in the southern US and had one at my previous home and one here. The one at our present house is larger than my other one. I have never done anything special as far as caring for them. I think you have to plant them well away from the house - root system? But the blooms smell marvelous and go on for some time. We pick them and float them in bowls of water on the dining table. Luscious!

I adore the huge waxy flowers, really gorgeous. There is a stunning one on a road near to my old house, I always slow down when I pass it.

Good to know that yours is pretty tough, marina.

The stellata is not the sort you want then. The blooms are as you might expect, star-burst like - thinner, strappy petals. Pretty, but not fleshy and long-lasting like the magnolia proper.
We have one like that on the walk to school. When new people moved in and attacked the very overgrown front garden I actually accosted them and said I hope they were leaving the tree . Luckily they love it too. It is huge

rofl marina

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I'm in Worcestershire, the soil is pants here but we've just had 4 tons of topsoil added to our bare beds. We're starting from scratch....

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We don't suffer from frost really, snorkle. We are fortunate to be in a quite sheltered position.

We have a stellata which we have moved several times over the past few years but it always flowers.
It is not as dramatic as the grandiflora but I wasn't sure if our garden was big enough to take it. Kind of wish I had bought one now but at the time it seemed really suburban.
Have seen beautiful photos of agnes b's garden with a huge one of these dripping petals onto the lawn below and it is amazing.

sububan

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NdP - , that was supposed to be a joke at my expense.

sorry.

lol, cuppy

I'll take it off your hands snorkle