Hi all, I m looking for a Magnolia tree/shrub to plant in my frontyard. It should be small since I don t have that much space. I saw a Magnolia Centennial which looks great and is hardy to my zone. Does anyone have this shrub and how do they like it?? If you have recommendations for any other Magnolias that will do well in my zone please let me know. I don t care about the colour: I only need it to be smallish and smell great. When would be a good time to plant it? S

I don't blame you for being concerned, I think there are few trees as majestic as the Southern Magnolia. I had one planted on my front lawn here in SW Florida 13 months ago, - just outside my screened lanai, A 20 ft tall gem that is now loaded with foot wide, intensely aromatic white blossoms that draw the attention of everyone who walks by. IMHO, well worth the effort and expense. It too has a mild case of fungus on the very bottom leaves, something I plan to eliminate soon by giving it a single spraying of copper sulfate, ( on both sides of the leaves as well as the trunk ). Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart all sell the plastic jugs of sulfate as well as the spray bottle that screws onto the garden hose. In your case three sprayings may be needed, each one two weeks apart. My best advice, not an expert, - perhaps other contributors may have a different solution. Good luck ! This post was edited by jofus on Sun, Jul 13, 14 at 8:35

I am no magnolia expert, but it pretty much looks to be beyond saving at this point. It seems to me something has gone wrong with the roots. Is there any green showing when you scratch the trunk? Many nurseries guarantee their plants for 6 mo or a year so try digging it up and returning it. Even if it is not guaranteed they may be able to tell you what when wrong. Once I had an ornamental tree that kept wilting and then started dying. When I dug it up I found a very tight cord digging into the trunk below the soil line. The cord had held burlap around the roots. The nursery gave me a new tree. Sometimes even just air pockets around the roots can have a detrimental effect. So sorry. But your other trees look great. Maybe someone else will have an idea ...

All perimeter cabinets are simply white. My island will be stained oak. With the black top. However there will be an island table that is attached next to it that will have the white quartzite. I have pieces saved at the stone yard that are what I used in the kitchen so do not want to deviate. I originally wanted soapstone but not to be found here in my price range and when I found the quartzite, I could see my kitchen needed to be light countertops but I wanted the bulletproofness of the granite. Plus they didn't have enough quartzite for the whole kitchen. So I have a mix. Its all good. I would post photos but the computer isn't cooperating. Can you use the island top you are replacing for the wet bar? Or are you repurposing it elsewhere?