Natchez Crape Myrtle or what we fondly refer to as "the big one with white blooms" is beginning it's yearly display. In North Texas - we plant crape mytles as specimen plants in our landscape. CMs (as we'll call them for the rest of this short posting) can range from dwarf charmers for a border or planter to these 20 foot tall trees with interesting bark and huge bloom heads. CMs tolerate heat well, are reasonably drought tolerant and provide a focal point in our otherwise plain driveway. It is good to be pretty just for the sake of being pretty - at least that's how I see it with plants and some animals - not so much for people. It is a hot, clear Sunday in July and on Buhlaland it is good to have something flowering.
6 comments:
I love crape myrtles. We have some lilac colored ones, pink ones, and some almost burgandy ones. The burgandy ones sometimes look like peppermint. I don't know the name of the variety, but they told us at the nursery that if they bloom on cloudy days they'll be peppermint. If they bloom in the sunshine, they'll be the dark burgandy. As we have had no rain to speak of and scorcher days with 100+ temps, you can bet they are the darkest of burgandy!
What lovely timing for a flowering tree or shrub!
Crape Myrtles are so pretty. I love the lacy look the blossoms have. We have a pretty purple one. It was here when we moved in and I just love it. Loved reading your comment on my blog about Carlsbad Caverns! Blessings,Kathleen
Crape Myrtle is pretty. Yes, in the garden and landscape pretty for pretty's sake is appreciated, always!
(does that include dandelions?, I think they are pretty too )
Vickie - we have one other big crape myrtle called raspberry ice - and sometimes it is raspberry colored and sometimes it is a variegated white and pink?
Lanny - yep - right now even our marigold are looking pitiful in our 105 degree temps! (downtown bank thermometer read 110!) Kathleen - we also love the CMs - often wish I'd planted more of the big white ones - the bark is fascinating.
KathyB - well dandelions have many uses - the goats love them as do our chickens and I hear that some folks make a tasty wine from those perky yellow flowering plants. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder!
Hey thanks for thinking of me and the migraine article. I like to stay in touch with what is going on out there and if there is something that is new. I'm sure that where I live, a hundred plus year old house on a farm, is probably not the smartest place to live but I had them as a kid in a bran new house my daddy built with real material so who knows. Food doesn't really trigger them but I know that if I am craving chocolate that I will have a migraine within twenty-four hours whether I eat the yummy brown stuff or not, but if I eat the chocolate I get it sooner. Supplements and I mean huge quantities seem to help for a while but eventually they break through no matter what I am doing nutritionally. Sometimes the drugs they give me work and sometimes they don't most, times I am successful at ignoring them. But just ask KathyB, my friends can see my headache in my eyes. (they must cross or something)
Really thanks for thinking of me, I have been great lately. Exhausted but good. And now it is nine o'clock and instead of posting my post that I started on July fourth I am headed to bed.
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