I inherited this magnolia with the house and what a sad and sorry little specimen it was. I think last year there were three flowers in total and even these were only very distant cousins to what one would like to see on a magnolia. Shortly after this dismal attempt at flowering, my mother, La Grande Dame of my Personal Horticultural Circle, took to it with a pair of loppers and a sharp little saw, completely beating it into submission and what I thought would be an early grave. For a number of months I averted my eyes in a guilty fashion until one morning I happened to notice the swell of buds on the end of a branch. Big, juicy buds that made my heart go pitter pat. Fast forward to now and we are inundated with magnificent flowers at the beginning of their bloom.
Thus I have learnt valuable horticultural lesson no. 1: If all else fails go at it hammer and tongs with something sharp and watch it change its tune.
I hope all is well in your garden.
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