Plants for Readers: Crepe Myrtle

For those who love to read and who wish to incorporate plants mentioned in their favorite books into their own Gulf Coast gardens, I offer this first installment in what I hope will be a series of posts on plants that appear in iconic works of Southern Literature.

Today: The Crepe Myrtle.

Crape Myrtles are easy to find in many local
gardening centers on the gulf coast, and may
be found online. (Photo Source.)

from All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren:

"The house was set up close to the road, with a good hog-wire fence around the not very big yard, and with some crepe myrtles in bloom the color of raspberry ice cream and looking cool in the heat in the corner of the yard and one live oak, nothing to brag on and dying on one side, in front of the house, and a couple of magnolias off to one side with rusty-looking tinny leaves. There wasn’t much grass in the yard, and a half dozen hens wallowed and fluffed and cuck-cucked in the dust under the magnolia trees. A big white hairy dog like a collie or a shepherd was lying on the front porch, a little one-story front porch that looked stuck on the box of the house, like an afterthought."

Crepe myrtles are popular in my region of Texas for their showy displays of flowers in the spring.


Links on varieties and care of Crepe Myrtles:

• "Crepe Murder"
• Aggie Horticulture: Top Eight Crepe Myrtle Cultivars
• Southern Living's "Grumpy Gardener"
• Floridata: Lagerstroemia indica

Gardening in a Drought

What we consider a drought here in in the greater Houston area is rather similar to a normal year in many parts of my native California.  The difference, of course, is that in California they are used to it.  So how do they deal?

Bougainvilleas look their best in dry conditions.

Drought tolerant plants

Natives are ideal, but introduced drought tolerant plants can be useful as well.   If you can, observe areas near you where plants are growing wild. What is doing well? What isn't?  Choose these to replace plants that are unable to survive the current dry spell.


Smart grouping

Keep plants with similar watering needs together. This allows you to use your water more efficiently



Drip irrigation

This can provide a more constant supply of water to your plants. The slow flow of water allows more moisture to stay where it is needed, rather than running off into the gutters.


Watering Basins

Using the soil, create a basin around plants that require deeper waterings. This minimizes runoff and gives water time to seep down to the roots of the plant. These are especially useful for trees and shrubs that require deeper watering.  My grandfather, an avid plant collector who loves tropicals and has been gardening in California for decades, has these around almost every plant in his Southern California garden. This page at Learn2Grow.com features a picture of a watering basin around a newly planted rose.

Rain barrels

While they can be expensive, these can allow one to make better use of runoff from the roof between rainstorms. This is especially useful if your neighborhood is under water restrictions, as you have an alternative source of water on days when you can't use your hose or sprinklers. 

Mulch

Mulch insulates from cold in the winter, and also aids moisture retention in dry weather.


Minimize Lawn Space

While they are attractive and simple landscape features, lawns require a great deal of water, and can begin to look ugly when they do not get enough. Consider replacing part or all of your lawn with something with less demanding water requirements such as drought-tolerant beds, a low-growing ground cover, gravel, or pavers.