Our unusually hot summer may be browning out lawns and killing evergreens, but heat-loving plants like crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) are putting out exuberant displays right now. At the edge of their hardiness zone, (the indica species is hardy to zone 7, the fauriei species to zone 6), the plants are not always reliable performers unless they have plenty of heat and light. (My neighbor’s 10-year-old plant never really bloomed until this summer, when a storm took out the shade of the pine tree next to it.) With arrestingly brilliant flower clusters, followed by vibrant berries and radiant autumn leaf color, they’re a late season standout in a mixed garden bed. Undemanding plants, they won’t flower well if fertilized or watered too heavily. Wait until late spring to prune them when new growth emerges. The National Arboretum websitehas a guide to help with selections, as well as a resource for developing new hybrids like the miniature “Pocomoke” and promising “Arapaho” and “Cheyenne” varieties.