The Magnolia Tree

Years ago, Marty and I went to San Diego for vacation, er, I mean CPA training :) While we were there, apparently there was a mandatory class at the Torrey Pines Golf Course that Marty needed to attend. I officially rode in the golf cart and commented on his swing and enjoyed the beautiful view. This was where I first learned of the Magnolia Tree. They are huge, lush and they have large white flowers that smell amazing. I picked the flowers and enjoyed the fragrance throughout the entire round of golf, er, I mean CPA cert course. :)

Fast forward a few years...I am so excited when our friends ask us if we want their magnolia trees. They were re-doing their landscaping and didn't want them. Yay! We planted them in some large planters and I was excited for the fabulous flowers.

Fast forward to present time...we are getting rid of the magnolia trees. Here's why:

1. They are not huge and lush (okay, I know they would probably grow in time, but where we hastily planted them, they can not be huge, they will be in the way of the whole yard).

2. The flowers bloom and are gorgeous, but they wilt and turn brown within days of blooming. There is no endless days of enjoying the flowers and you have to stick your nose in them to smell them, they don't fill my yard with floral fragrance.

3. They are messy. The leaves drop. The dry brown what used to be petals drop. The middle of the bud drops (looks like mini pine cones). All the little insides of the flower bits drop. Half the tree is on the ground most of the year.

4. The undersides of the leaves are brown, not green. So it looks half dead all the time.

5. We apparently don't have the proper know how for magnolia trees. And we don't really care to take the time and effort to learn.

So, we will get rid of them. I swear those trees know their fate though, they sure are doing a good job of temping me with those beautiful flowers the past week.