The first tree I fell in love with was a southern magnolia.  That tree, as I recall, was absolutely huge — with low lying branches where a little girl could sit, sheltered from the Texas heat.  In the spring it produced giant, fragrant blossoms — larger than my hands — that gave off the most heavenly scent imaginable.  My mother used to put the blooms in bowls of water around the house so that the rooms would fill with the smell of magnolia. (more…)