Known as shrubs and trees that thrive in the Southern climates, Crepe Myrtle is absolutely beautiful and literally maintenance free. This very popular tree is native to Asia and was introduced to America in 1747. Its common American name can be spelled as crape myrtle or crepe myrtle and it is believed that it was named this way because the ruffled petals do resemble crepe paper. The wide assortment of various colors, coupled with a long flowering period have made the Crepe Myrtle an extremely sought out and must have in most Southern landscapes.

Because of its beauty, Crepe Myrtle breeding programs have been established in the US and Europe generating a wide range of plant sizes, various growth habits, different color flowers and fall foliage colors. As a result, there are approximately eighty different species in the botanical name of Lagerstroemia.

Crepe Myrtle can be described as a multi trunk medium to large shrub or tree. The trunks or stems are smooth, fluted like, pale brown with sort of like peeling bark. The leaves are green and oblong shaped and depending on the climate, the color of the leaves can turn to various hues. The flowers are ruffled and you can get red, white, lavender, and pink colors. The petals have broad fringed blades with their lower portions narrowed into long, slender claws.

There are several botanical names for Crepe Myrtle that go back in history but the Lagerstroemia is very popular and native to Asia, although popular also in India, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Burma, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Japan, Philippines and Australia. One of the first species was Lagerstroemia Indica which was described by Charles Linnaeus in 1759 and he used the name Lagerstroemia in honor of his friend Magnus von Lagertroem who was an avid naturalist and director of the Swedish East Indies company.

Crepe Myrtle requires very little care but according to most gardeners, you should never prune them where you actually dehorn the plant. Cutting them too low actually stops the plant from flowering effectively. You can go ahead and remove dead flowers from the shrub or tree and this will enhance the flowering performance of the Crepe Myrtle. Just be careful and don’t go too low with your cutting.

The most common types of Crepe Myrtle that you can get at any local nursery are dark pink flower Miami and Tuscarora, red flower Tonto, lavender flower Muscogee, white flower Acoma and Natchez, pale pink flower Biloxi and bright pink flower Sioux. You can plant these in any type of soil but must be a sunny location and be sure to use some compost at planting time to hold the soil together for rapid growth.

Crepe Myrtle produce crepe like flowers all summer long and in the warmer climates it can go on blooming long after the fall season. Somehow, when I think about Crepe Myrtle, I envision warm summer days. And As I mentioned before, the flowers are beautiful and so is the tree or shrub in itself. It is just a very attractive plant that will add awesome beauty to any flower garden or landscape.

Did you know that soil is considered to be alive and should be treated as a living substance? And, it is the most important component if you want to have a beautiful flower garden. Check the soil in your garden and if it is crusty, it feels hard and you see standing water or erosion, then you have poor soil.

The soil in your garden consists of particles which are mainly minerals that come from the breakdown of rocks and other substances with some organic matter. Since soil is the basic element in the cultivation of all plants, it is very important that the soil in your garden is nutrient rich to promote growth. Of course, other growth factors such as sun, light, moisture and weather conditions are important as well.

Many gardeners believe that the ideal soil should be loose, deep, well drained, has lots of organic matter and is free from diseases and weeds. Good soil must have three main ingredients which are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium in order to become that ‘ideal’ type of soil. So if you have soil that is deficient in these nutrients, you can mix it with colloidal rock phosphate and green-sand to improve its quality.

Another thing to remember is that clay based soils dry much slower after a rainy day than other types of soil. However, sandy based soils dry out quickly. If you have clay or sandy based soils, you can improve it by adding organic matter such as Peatmoss, Manure, Compost, or even sawdust and bark. Increasing the organic matter of these types of soils makes it easier for you to garden and you will see improved internal drainage.

I prefer Compost for clay and sandy spots in my garden because it binds them together and retain moisture. I also like to add Compost to my potting soil prior to planting anything. Composted manure that you see at your local nurseries is good and you can spread a layer on top of your garden soil prior to tilling thus getting some much needed organic matter in the ground. Whatever you do, don’t try to make your own Compost at home. If you are not an expert at this sort of thing, you can bring unwanted diseases, bugs and weeds to your garden. Leave the work to someone else and just go and buy it at your local nursery.

It is important to mention here that adding fertilizers to your garden does not improve the quality of the soil. Fertilizers are considered chemicals that are applied as a nutrient for the plants and it is not to be confused with organic matter for your garden soil although fertilizers are essential for producing beautiful flowers in your garden. Be sure to follow the instructions given with the purchase of any type of fertilizer and don’t use more than the recommended dosage as it may burn or even kill some of your plants.

Getting back to the soil, if you notice that your plants are short, not growing as they should, show poor color and have bad roots, than you need to check the quality of your garden soil. If you want to have a beautiful flower garden the first step is to make sure you have good quality soil. It doesn’t matter whether you are planting perennials, trees or even a vegetable garden, the quality of the soil will determine how well these will grow.

If you want a great looking garden, then you must have nutrient rich soil in order for your plants to thrive on. Use top quality soil, not some old one that has been around your garage for a long time. Remember that different plants have specific soil needs and the best thing to do is to follow the instructions that come with the plants when you purchase them. And, adding Compost or other organic matter to your soil will make your garden flourish.