Crepe myrtles are real show-offs

If you want great color next summer, add a
crepe myrtle to your landscape. Right now they
are in brilliant bloom all along the Texas Gulf Coast. 

My favorite part of a crepe myrtle is its gnarly, peeling bark.

Luscious boughs are heavy with flower clusters that come in such hues as lavender, watermelon, fuschia, coral and white. The prettiest crepe myrtles, I think, are the ones that are allowed to become well-rounded trees. Most people around here, though, cut them back to the knuckles in the fall, something the Master Gardeners discourage, calling it Crepe Murder.