Nothing says summer in the South like crepe myrtles. Found in many shapes, sizes, and varieties, their arching branches make them a mainstay for framing many a courtyard. The tree loves heat and ...

Our second son is about to turn 48. I was working for Texas A&M and the Extension Service when he was born. It was a good income with good benefits, but I felt the need to supplement things by growing ...

Crepe myrtles, Lagerstroemia indica, vary in size from dwarf shrubs to multi-trunked and single-trunk trees growing to 30 feet tall. Most varieties produce beautiful blooms starting in spring or ...

Neil Sperry gives answers on kumquats, crape myrtle aphids/scale, shade lawn fixes with mondograss, dahlias vs. zinnias, and Asian jasmine.

This time of year, when we walk outside, we are immediately hit with a thick wall of Northeast Florida humidity. While most of our landscape trees and plants are drooping or having pest and disease ...

In the spring as the weather changes, many are concerned about pruning crape myrtles. Hacking the tops of crape myrtles has become a common practice in Rowan County as often referred as “Crape Murder.

So far, 2025 has been the best year I’ve seen for crape myrtles in the past 15 or 20. Many of us feel they’re the best flowering shrubs and small trees for the South, and this year is certainly ...

Q: Every year, Japanese beetles attack my crape myrtle, but other crape myrtles in the neighborhood don’t seem to be affected. Why? Connie Stevens, Barrow County A: Mechanical factors of the crape ...

Editor's note: Brenda Smith is a graduate of the Extension Service Master Gardener class. This will be an occasional column featuring information indigenous to the area. For more gardening news, see ...