Crape Myrtle Cottage Garden

Description

The Crape Myrtle Cottage Garden palette is designed to include a selection of plants that add bright colors and traditional planting character to landscapes and gardens throughout the Inland Empire. Since there are numerous crape myrtle flower colors to choose from, this palette can be adapted to many garden and patio situations.

A wide range of companion plants can be selected to grow with crape myrtles. This palette of plants has been selected to show a range of shapes, colors and textures that are possible. At the same time, emphasis is placed upon gardens and plantings where the traditional lawn is absent; understory areas are covered with organic mulch, gravel or decomposed granite in place of higher water needy lawns.

Plant List

Trees

Crape myrtle

Botanical Name: Lagerstroemia indica
Plant Type: Tree
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 6 ft. - 30 ft. Width: 10 ft. - 30 ft.

Pink trumpet tree

Botanical Name: Tabebuia impetiginosa
Plant Type: Tree
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 30 ft. - 50 ft. Width: 30 ft. - 40 ft.

Flowering Shrubs

Indian hawthorn + cvs

Botanical Name: Rhaphiolepis indica
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 6 ft. - 8 ft. Width: 6 ft. - 8 ft.

Sea mallow

Botanical Name: Lavatera maritima
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun
Height: 6 ft. - 10 ft. Width: 8 ft. - 12 ft.

Sweet olive

Botanical Name: Osmanthus fragrans
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, Moderate shade, Partial sun
Height: 12 ft. - 15 ft. Width: 8 ft. - 10 ft.

White shrub rose

Botanical Name: Rosa floribunda 'Iceberg'
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 8 ft. - 10 ft. Width: 5 ft. - 6 ft.

Perennials

African iris + cvs

Botanical Name: Dietes grandiflora
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 4 ft. Width: 3 ft.

Common thrift

Botanical Name: Armeria maritima
Plant Type: Ground cover, Perennial, Native
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 6 in. - 8 in. Width: 10 in. - 12 in.

Dwarf flax lily

Botanical Name: Dianella revoluta 'Little Rev'
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, Moderate shade, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 18 in. - 24 in. Width: 18 in. - 24 in.

Fortnight lily

Botanical Name: Dietes bicolor
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 30 in. Width: 3 ft. - 6 ft.

Jack Sprat dwarf flax

Botanical Name: Phormium 'Jack Sprat'
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun
Height: 18 in. Width: 18 in.

Mexican daisy

Botanical Name: Erigeron karvinskianus
Plant Type: Ground cover, Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, Moderate shade, All day sun
Height: 6 in. - 15 in. Width: 3 ft. - 4 ft.

Variegated flax lily

Botanical Name: Dianella tasmanica 'Variegata'
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, Moderate shade, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 2 ft. Width: 2 ft.

Ground Covers and Vines

Floral Carpet rose

Botanical Name: Rosa floribunda 'Floral Carpet'
Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 2 ft. Width: 4 ft. - 5 ft.

Pink jasmine

Botanical Name: Jasminum polyanthum
Plant Type: Vine
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun
Height: 20 ft. Width: 20 ft.

Snow-in-summer

Botanical Name: Cerastium tomentosum
Plant Type: Ground cover, Perennial
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 4 in. - 6 in. Width: 2 ft. - 3 ft.

Star jasmine

Botanical Name: Trachelospermum jasminoides
Plant Type: Ground cover, Vine
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Moderate shade, All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 18 in. - 24 in. Width: 30 ft.

Violet trumpet vine

Botanical Name: Clytostoma callistegioides
Plant Type: Vine
Water Needs: Moderate 4
Exposure: Morning sun, All day sun
Height: 15 ft. - 25 ft. Width: 15 ft. - 25 ft.

Horticultural Preferences

Plants in the Crape Myrtle Cottage Garden palette prefer sunny exposures, loam soils and regular moisture throughout the year to sustain robust summertime flowering performance and overall foliage character. Many of the plants in this palette are considered among the easiest and most reliable plants to grow.

Aesthetic Character

This palette of plants provides a diverse range of colors and textures with many flowers occurring during late spring and summer. A number of popular ornamental grasses are included to provide fine texture and attractive inflorescences. Shrubs include floribunda roses, butterfly bush and sweet olive that add fragrance as well as color. Colorful perennials such as kangaroo paws, sea lavender and orange bulbine can be planted in large masses and focal areas for bold impact.

This palette is well suited to achieve cottage style and traditional garden plantings with many colorful trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses.

Moisture Needs

The Crape Myrtle Cottage Garden palette grows well in inland and valley areas throughout the Inland Empire. The chart shown below provides a baseline guide to the monthly irrigation schedule and volume of supplemental water needed to maintain healthy growth. It should be noted there are several months noted by an asterisk (*) when winter rains can provide sufficient moisture and irrigation is not needed. All plants grow best with moderate amounts of water throughout the year; the summertime schedule helps sustain the flowering of crape myrtle trees.

Irrigation Schedule and Graph

Moderate Water Use Plants

Irrigation Schedule 4

	Jan*	Feb*	Mar*	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov*	Dec*
Runs per Month	0x to 3x	0x to 3x	0x to 3x	2x to 3x	2x to 3x	3x to 4x	3x to 4x	3x to 4x	2x to 3x	2x to 3x	0x to 3x	0x to 3x
Inches per Run	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"

Inches per Month	0" to 3"	0" to 3"	0" to 3"	2" to 3"	2" to 3"	3" to 4"	3" to 4"	3" to 4"	2" to 3"	2" to 3"	0" to 3"	0" to 3"

Range of supplemental summer water: 17"-24"
Range of supplemental winter water: 0"-15"

0"-3"

2"-3"

3"-4"

2"-3"

0"-3"

Jan*

Feb*

Mar*

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov*

Dec*

For more information on how to use this Irrigation Schedule and Graph, follow this link.

For information how to calculate your irrigation system’s schedule and precipitation rate, please follow this link.