I first began to notice Magnolia trees a few years ago on a trip to visit my aunt in Virginia. As we strolled through her hometown of Fredericksburg that hot Memorial Day, we came across a Magnolia grandiflora, the state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana. Though its blooms were mostly spent, I was able to take this shot. 
Then, a spring or two later in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, I was taking a “photo walk” around my neighborhood and ran smack into this. 
This Pink Saucer Magnolia took my breath away by its sheer size and pinkness. I had always thought of Magnolias as a Southern tree, not able to grow in Ohio. I learned later that Saucer Magnolias are much more cold hardy than the grandiflora variety. I must have stood for 20 minutes in all positions in front of some random person’s house, in order to get my fill of shots of this magnificent tree. I am glad now I took the extra time, because the blooms dropped quickly that week and the following spring left the neighborhood Magnolias in a much poorer state. But it did wonders for the Weeping Cherry Trees…
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