Maple Tree · Gardenality Genius · Zone 10A · 30° to 35° F
Shefali-You're very welcome. Glad I could help. It looks as though there are several nurseries and garden centers that should carry a few different sizes of the magnolia or at least be able to order one for you. One garden center I found was the Durham Garden Center. Of course I have no idea of their quality and service but it looked as though they may have just what you are looking for. I purchase a lot of quality plants here on the West Coast from Armstrong Nurseries. They have a few stores I understand in N.C. under the name Pike Nursery. The closest to you I believe is in Charlotte but you could call them for information. If you were to use an online source for a smaller size tree you could use Gardenerdirect.com. They have always been very helpful and have nice quality plants. If you would like to plant the magnolia now there should be no problem doing so in the spring. Let me know how you make out and please ask if you have any other questions.

Maple Tree · Gardenality Genius · Zone 10A · 30° to 35° F
Hi Shefali-The Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia × soulangeana) is hardy to zone 4 so the colder temperatures most likely didn't harm the magnolias. Any time the weather has been warm the developing flower buds or any new foliage can be damaged by late freezing temperatures. This could affect the amount of flowering but overall the magnolias should be fine. These magnolias can be grown as a small tree or large shrub. Planting to close to your porch and pillar may be a problem in time. This magnolia can grow 20 feet tall and just as wide. These magnolias don't require a lot of care. They like to be planted in a well draining soil and kept moist but never too wet. The type of soil and amount of direct sunlight will determine how often they will need watering. Just make sure the soil is damp and not allowed to dry out.
Unfortunately I'm not a lot of help when it comes to different varieties of magnolia trees. From what I have learned both the DD Blanchrd and Bracken's Brown Beauty can grow to 40 feet and higher. The DD Blanchard evidently has the largest leaves of all the magnolias and its flower is large and cup shaped where the others have a more open flower. They both have a medium growth rate which is approximately 1 to 2 feet during a growing season. It would be best to acquire information on both these magnolias from your local quality nursery or garden center (not the big box stores). They should be able to explain the differences in these varieties and which may do better in your location. One magnolia I am acquainted with is the Little Gem Magnolia. We have several in our community that only grow to 25 feet with a spread of 10 to 15 feet. They are a smaller variety and are evergreen. These seem to blossom most of the summer months. If you don't feel you have the room for the larger growing magnolias the Little Gen may be worth looking at. Planting in the spring is fine. Again you mainly want to keep them consistantly moist but never too wet or dry. The price to plant a tree can vary drastically depending on your location. I'm amazed at times at the difference in cost in other parts of the country compared to mine. Again you can find this out by talking with your local nursery. If you have a gardener or a neighbor that uses a gardening service they many times are more reasonably priced than the nurseries or tree service companies. My neighbors gardeners are always willing to plant for others when they are in the area. If the soil is dry I would water so that it is moist when planting. If moist, just make sure the soil is backfilled around the root ball so that there is no air pockets left around the roots. After planting water well to settle the soil around the roots making sure the entire root ball to its depth is moistened.