Scooter the Mighty wrote:
snip

What growing zone are you in, and if you don't
know, basic location.

You know, I think I was given some bad information. I live in Seattle
and have been told that we're zone 5 by several different people. I
was puzzled by you saying that crape myrtles do OK down to zero,
because it never gets that cold here. I looked around online and
apparently we're zone 8. Never mind, a crape myrtle should be fine.

Thanks!

Adam

good deal then! just check it occaisonally during the winter to make
sure it's not TOO wet or bony dry (I understand you have a rainy season
during the winter with drought periods during part of summer.....your
crape myrtle will be fine. do you know when to prune the spent blossoms
to encourage more flowers next year and when to NOT prune it to not cut
off the next year's buds? it only needs minimal pruning to cut out
crossing branches. they are easily shaped and can even withstand harsh
coppicing. in the case of your bonsai, just branches that are crossing
will be fine to trim out. if it has bloomed for you, you can cut the
ends of the branches after the blossoms are spent, unless you like the
seed pods. I have a white, a watermelon pink one and a Cherokee red
with darker leaves. Also have a dwarf one that won't get more than three
foot tall at best. And this year snagged a true red one that I have yet
to plant as I need to remove the vinca that will strangle it. It will
go near the rest to make a cluster of them. right now my watermelon
colored one is loaded with HUGE blossoms. I've actually had storms rip
through here and break my white one off at the ground and it regrew back
fairly well. Glad to see you're in a climate that it will flourish in.
maddie