“Flowers are like friends;
They bring color to your world.”
– Unknown
This time of year certainly does bring lots of beautiful colors and sounds to our surroundings.
We have been busy at Whimsical Annie's adding new merchandise and restocking some of our favorites. It's a perfect time to start thinking about what you would like for Mother's Day or what you would like to give your loved one. Mother's Day will be here soon!
We hope you are doing well and look forward to seeing you soon!
Pruning Tips for Crape Myrtles
by Candy Roach / Bexar County Master Gardener
Crape Myrtles are one of the most beautiful and graceful trees that have a long bloom period in our area. They are a sight to behold when cared for properly. Each springtime many of you will begin to tend to your gardening tasks as we anticipate the changing of the seasons. Here are a few tips to help guide you as you contemplate what to do with your Crape Myrtle. Believe me, it’s a lot easier than you think.
First of all, be advised that Crape Myrtles require very little pruning to maintain their natural form and beauty. You should focus your pruning to remove dead branches, thin the trunks (preferably when young) to shape your tree, remove branches that are rubbing against each other and removing suckers as they sprout at the base. This is all that is required to maintain the shape of your tree.
You should never top your Crape Myrtles. Topping these trees will force them to sucker more at the base which creates more work for you and also creates ugly growth on the trees. Other injuries such as damage to the trunk by hitting them with lawn mowers or string trimmers may also cause suckers.
We have a wide variety of birds that love eating the Crape Myrtle seeds, such as goldfinches, housefinches and cardinals to name a few. Leaving the spent seed pods on the tree will provide food for these birds that migrate through our neighborhood during the spring. You may be fortunate enough to have a pair of these feathered friends actually take up residence in your gardens.
Here are some examples of how NOT to prune your trees.
Bexar County Master Gardeners are available to help you with your gardening questions. We provide unbiased, research-based, locally relevant gardening information as a free service to the public. You can reach us Monday through Friday between 9 am – Noon and 1-4 pm by calling 210-631-0400. Ask to speak to a Master Gardener. The Hotline is not available on county holidays.
Happy Gardening!
Candy Roach
