During this time of year, our outside world is full of blooming Crape Myrtles. (Lagerstroemia), If you are wondering which spelling is correct (Crape Myrtle, Crapemyrtle, Crepe Myrtle, or Crepemyrtle), they are all acceptable and any may be seen on plant tags, in an article or web search.  Crape Myrtle is probably the most used common name in California. You may want to use “Lagerstroemia” to be safe, which is used all over the world.

Crape myrtles are native to India, China, SE Asia, Japan, Australia, and Oceana, and is now cultivated in warmer climates around the world.  it was first introduced in the U.S. in the south (Charleston, South Carolina) in 179. It was quickly dubbed “crepe myrtle” due to its myrtle-shaped leaves and petals resembling crepe fabric. Lagerstroemia is not related to True or Common Myrtle (Myrtus communis).

There are about 50 species of Lagerstroemia, with many new varieties, ranging in many shades of red, pink, white, and purple, All are woody plants, including both deciduous and evergreen varieties, ranging in sizes from dwarfs to 100-foot trees. They are chiefly known for their long-lasting summer blooms, but also have beautifully mottled bark and most have colorful fall foliage.

Pruning is important since blooms come on new wood.  The question that arises is when and how much to prune. As with all pruning, there are different ideas as to when is best. Certainly, the worse time is when they are blooming, which I have seen done (ouch!). Once the bush is established and shaped as you prefer, less severe trimming should be adequate to maintain the size and shape.

Mildew can be a problem in our area during our long, wet winter. These trees prefer full sun, so if your bush is under a large tree canopy, or mostly shaded by buildings, it can promote the growth of mildew. Good air circulation also minimizes the chance for mildew growth. If planting a new crape myrtle, find one that is a mildew-resistant hybrid. Almost all selections with names of Native American tribes, such as ‘Hopi', ‘Miami', and ‘Zuni', are mildew resistant.

For information on care and treatment of crape myrtles, including powdery mildew, there are 38 article listings in the UCANR Repository at this web address. Search for “crape myrtle”.

https://ucanr.edu/repository/

For some interesting folklore about the Myrtles Plantation, including marriage under the crepe myrtle trees, George Washington, yellow fever, promiscuity, murder and death by birthday cake laced with crushed oleander flowers, go to the American Hauntings web site below to find: “The Myrtles Plantation: Legends, Lore and Lies.”

https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/myrtles

We had a surprise visitor in the middle of the day a couple of weeks ago.  Stretched out across our tiny patch of grass in our backyard was a large snake.  He or she had yellow stripes running the length of both sides of the dark brown body, round pupils and no rattles.  Whew! Not a rattlesnake.  I did some quick research on California Herps website and found that our visitor was likely a striped racer. 

Striped racer snakes are lumped in with gopher snakes and eat small birds, lizards, frogs, rodents, small snakes and some insects.  They are diurnal.  We have had a lot of lizards darting around our yard this year.  Our dog Bindi, a McNab – a type of herding dog, likes to hunt lizards.  She doesn't do anything to them.  She just stalks them and then stands frozen watching them.  It's kind of a faceoff and pretty funny to watch.  I am guessing that the snake found our backyard to be an all-you-can-eat buffet. 

I was able to take a couple of quick pictures with my cell phone and then quick-as-a-flash, he or she zipped across the walkway and disappeared in the California fuchsia and under the fence into the safety of the neighbor's woodpile.  I wonder if that snake is still around, though.  There don't seem to be as many lizards.  Hmmm.

In early July my husband and I were in Renton Washington, a community near Seattle.  We went for a late afternoon walk along a lakeside park called Coulon Beach Park.  It's a lovely park that is beautifully landscaped.  And it's somewhat unique in that you have the juxtaposition of boats and docks with the sight of numerous airplanes, lined up and waiting, on a tarmac at the edge of Lake Washington.  Renton is a manufacturing site for Boeing 737 airplanes.

As we walked along the trail I was intrigued by a large, finely needled tree with strings of tiny cones hanging down.  They reminded me of those wooden beaded curtains we used to hang in doorways in the 1970s.  Looking at the ground, I saw the little cones everywhere.  I searched for a marker and was thrilled to find the park's specimens were very well labeled.

Now tree identification has never been my strong point.  I am used to having to look things up.  But usually, when I do, I am at least familiar with the name.  Not this time; it was European Larch, Larix decidua. Research was in order.

Well, it turns out that Larches, also known as Tamaracks, are in the Pine Family, but are the only members of that family to lose their needles in winter, i.e. to be deciduous.  Their needles are soft, grow in clusters and turn a soft yellow in the fall before dropping off.  Their cones can remain on the tree for years.  They require full sun and regular water.

The Larch species vary in height and cone size.  The European Larch grows 30 to 60 feet tall and can be grown in Sunset Zones A1-A3, 1-9, and 14-17.  The Western Larch, Larix occidentalis, is native to the United States North West and British Columbia.  It is a much taller straighter tree, often over 100 feet, and used for lumber.  The Park had many different species of Larch planted.  I would love to go back in autumn and see their fall colors.

In the meantime, I have enjoyed being introduced to a new tree and suspect I may have gained a new word for Lexulous or Scrabble. The following web address is for a wonderful article on Larches by Susan Mahr with beautiful photographs.  It is on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Master Gardener website.

https://wimastergardener.org/article/european-larch-larix-decidua/

A lot of us have allergies. I seem to have allergies most of the year.  So, it does make gardening a challenge at times when my eyes are watery, nose running and sneezing.  But as gardeners, we continue to garden.

There is a book written by Thomas Leo Ogren titled “Allergy-Free Gardening”. In this book, he has listed and rated plants and their allergy potential from 1 to 10. Ten being the highest allergy plants.  He suggests planting plants that are pollinated by insects, like bees, butterflies could help, also invite birds into your yard, they can help lower some of the pollen counts because of the insects they eat.

There are some plants that he suggests that are to be pollen-free or with a very low pollen count. Some of those plants are alyssum, geraniums, begonias, some shade plants like camellias, hydrangeas, and hosta. I am lucky with shade-loving plants, as I have a lot of shade in the backyard thanks to a neighbor's very large tree.  For trees, he suggested dogwood, redbud, and magnolia they are a few low-allergy-producing trees.

Mr. Ogen also said that the bottlebrush (Calistemon) with their bright red flower clusters has heavy pollen that does not travel far and is rated as a 9.  But if you really love bottlebrush, planting it in a far corner of your yard away from the house, might be an option.  I have a hedge of bottlebrush between my yard and the neighbors, but it never blooms as I keep it trimmed, so the flowers do not emerge.

All his information sounds great, but if you already have a garden, and most of us do, changing it from time to time you should consider the allergy count in what you are planting. There are a couple of things you can do to help if you are not doing them already.

• Try not to garden on warm or windy days. If you live in the Fairfield area that could be a challenge with the wind.  Wear gloves, glasses and long sleeves, be sure and wear a hat not only because of the sun but to keep pollen out of your hair.

• After a day of gardening and trying your best keeping the allergies down, change your clothes so you don't take the spores into your house.

I try to do all the above but there are times when I think I will only be out in the garden a short time and forget most of the above.  But most of all when I find a plant that I can't live without, I don't consider what allergy count it might have. I just get it!

Do you suffer from allergies too?