I first discovered what a crepe myrtle was on a family trip to Virginia. These trees were all over, in varying colors. My favorite was the deep rose variety. I kept admiring them throughout the vacation, wondering if they would grow in New Jersey.

A few years later, a new garden center had them for five dollars as part of a grand opening sale. How could I resist that? Rushing over, I found the color I wanted and home it came with me. Now granted, it was a small sapling, but I was excited.

I assumed one day it would look like the beautiful tree you see above. That didn’t happen.