Maria and I stopped at an end-of-season plant sale yesterday, we came across a Butterfly Magnolia, considered by gardeners to be one of the earliest and finest yellow-flowered Magnolias.
Masses of tulip-shaped, rich canary yellow flowers, 4-5 inches across appear in mid-spring before the new leaves unfurl.
We had a good spot for it, right where two blueberry bushes failed to survive after a couple of seasons trying.
I slipped into my negotiator mood and decided to haggle with the saleswoman at the plant place. I told her the plant looked anemic.
The plant was tagged at $100, I offered $60. It’s the end of the season and the plant looked a little scraggly to me.
I love negotiating – a holdover from my CBS News days that I rarely get to use up here – and I take it seriously, the salesperson was afraid her boss would yell at her if she went too low. Once I start negotiating, I just hate to lose. I’m never nasty but I can be persistent.
Maria thought I was making the woman nervous so she said we’d take the plant for $70. I told her it’s not wise to undercut somebody in a negotiation – it’s the demon in me – but she said she felt badly for the woman I was negotiating with.
She was right of course, I didn’t need to push for the extra $10, $70 was a good price for a 10-foot hight tree like that.
Maria has a great heart. We planted the tree today, it looks great and we have a good spot. We both dream of a ring of beautiful trees around the farmhouse. We are getting there.
I just planted one this Spring! Can’t wait to have blooms, so far has been healthy and thriving!
Jon, this is going to be a gorgeous tree! Enjoy!
I really enjoy reading your journal . i think its really cool . i wish i could try writing. I really enjoy your material . i relate to it in many ways . you have no idea… The story about your brother is brave as well as the unrelenting pain.
Late summer in Georgia, where I live, is the worst time to plant shrubs/ trees: soil is overheated -many more days of hot and dry conditions before tropical storms bring relief. You don’t live in Georgia – no organic, local, hand-harvested July peaches for you! – but your summers are shorter and not blazing hot day after day. You and Maria know what to do to care for this Magnolia. It looks pretty healthy to me in the photo: a very good deal of $70. May it live long and prosper!
My best friend has one of those trees in her yard and the yellow blossoms on it are absolutely gorgeous in the Spring. I’m sure you will both enjoy it and I look forward to seeing the pictures of it when it blooms!
I have never seen a Butterfly Magnolia tree, Jon. I’m in middle Georgia and we have the lovely cream or white magnolia blooms, which smell amazing. I have a really tall one in my yard that I planted 25-30 years ago, but it took many years to start blooming. I hope your new tree does wonderfully and has blooms quickly so you can photograph and show us.