Tag Archives: historic

Crape Myrtle

"The Lilac of the South"

Dynamite Crape Myrtle

Crape Myrtles are a popular choice for gardeners. They require very little maintenance and provide beautiful color in the heat of the summer. Crape Myrtles are most popular in the south, gaining the nickname the lilac of the south, but are enjoyed by gardeners across the country. Their scientific term, Lagerstroemia, was coined in 1759 in order to honor Magnus von Lagerstroem, an avid naturalist. The common name in America, Crape Myrtle, is derived from the crape-like appearance of the flower.

The Crape Myrtle was introduced to Charleston, South Carolina from China and Korea, in the late 1700's by the French botanist Andre Michaux. Today there is a crape myrtle to fill every landscape need, from specimen type trees to fast growing dwarf types. In the United States it can be seen anywhere south of USDA Zone 6, doing best and avoiding fungal diseases in mild, non-humid climates. According to Wikipedia in some parts of Texas, the Crape myrtle is known as a Cuddle Tree.

No matter if the Crape Myrtle is a "Cuddle Tree" or the "Lilac of the South" a Clark Garden guest favorite is the Dynamite variety of Crape Myrtle. This tree provides the garden with a gorgeous display of incredible true red blooms lasting from June until September. It was developed by Oklahoma's Dr. Carl Whitcomb in 1998.

Read the rest of the article about Crape Myrtles and "Crape Murder"...

Memberships at Clark Gardens

Clark Garden members are an important part of our "family" at Clark Gardens. Over 100 enthusiastic Clark Garden members were treated to a summertime cook out by staff members this past Sunday. Guests were served grilled burgers and hot dogs along with homemade pound cake and brownies. Music was provided by Texas singer/songwriter Jimmy Baldwin.

Among other things, revenue from memberships helps support our efforts to provide quality educational programs. This spring alone almost 2,000 area wide students attended educational programming here in the gardens. These programs are offered at no cost to either the school districts or the students themselves. Programs range from butterfly gardening to nature scavenger hunts to herb gardening and the study of tree systems.

Benefits to our members include year round free admission to the Garden, free admission at over 200 other public gardens nationwide through American Horticulture Society's reciprocal admission program, invitations to Member Only Events, discounts to classes, workshops, and events, Early Bird sign up for classes, E-Bulletin updates with current Garden news and events and 10% discount in the Garden Shop.

We thank our current members and welcome new members. Any new member or renewing member will receive an added bonus from now to the end of September: a FREE one year subscription to Better Homes and Gardens.

Visit our website for more membership information and the opportunity to purchase a membership online.

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