½ü¾àÀëÄÚÉäºÏ¼¯

Q: I’m so disappointed and very sad! Last year I planted several crepe myrtle plants in my backyard. Now, my neighbor’s lilacs and forsythia, and a shrub she calls flowering quince, are in full bloom and my crepe myrtles look like dead sticks! Is there something I didn’t do for them and now they are dead? Suggestions on what to replace them with? Help! — A.C., Bernalillo

A: I’m happy to report that I doubt the crepe myrtles are in fact dead. Crepe myrtles are a very quirky plant and usually the very last ones to show signs of life. At your altitude, living in Bernalillo, I’d be surprised if any of the crepes wake up before the end of April.