Razzle Dazzle them with curb appeal!
Most of my friends know that my DH is a horticulture guy. While my yard is not the Garden of Eden, sometimes it comes pretty close… minus the snake and apple.
He has his favorite plants and I have mine. I absolutely hate Echinacea. Well, at least I hate it where he plants it because it blocks my yard art and little pond. He is not partial to day lilies. I don’t know why he doesn’t like them, but I imagine it’s because next year he is going to have to choose to either move the day lilies or move the calla lilies because they are so close to each other neither gets to put on a show.
The standout plants in our yard this time of year are our Razzle Dazzle Dwarf Crape Myrtles that line our driveway.
Razzle Dazzle Crape Myrtle
As I drive around showing property I see so many people plant Crape Myrtle trees in the wrong place. Builders especially seem ignorant about the growth patterns of Crape Myrtle trees. They have no idea that these beautiful trees can grow to 30 feet with a span of 20 feet or more. They also do best in full sun and get spindly in shaded yards.
This Crape Myrtle will cause problems!
If you have these beautiful trees planted close to your house, you can and probably should move them. I have moved Crape Myrtles that were upwards of 15 foot tall. I’ll tell you how I did it if you want… but it involved muscle shovels a couple of strong kids and a 4 wheeler.
One of the best things about Crape Myrtle trees is that as they age they develop the most beautiful bark. The canopy is nice too with its umbrella shaped branches. Never ever commit Crape Murder… meaning don’t let your tree have nubby branches because of bad pruning. You don’t have to prune these trees, except maybe to clear area toward the bottom of the tree.
Don’t commit Crape Murder!
But I digress… let me tell you about my Razzle Dazzle Crape Myrtles. These trees were planted in my yard almost 9 years ago! The tallest one in the photo is maybe 4 feet tall. This is the way you create curb appeal with a Crape Myrtle planted next to your house… along your driveway or just about anywhere you don’t want the tree interfering with your gutters and roof.
Always remember… A wise woman once told me “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago… the next best time to plant a tree is today!”