I have several large pots filled with dirt in various spots in the back yard. They are leftovers from plants that have either died or been replanted, and I haven’t gotten around to planting something new in them yet. Two years ago (or maybe 3?) I noticed a shoot growing in one of these pots. Another volunteer. I let it go for a while and realized it was a crepe myrtle. The first year it grew a bit and leafed out. The second year, it had a few more shoots and it even had a few flowers. This year I want to start to shape it into a taller tree, rather than a bushy shrub. So, a couple of weeks ago, I pruned it back to two bare, woody stalks about 3 feet high.
In the shot above, you can see some of the big buds that have popped out along the main branches. Glad to see that I didn’t kill it. 🙂
Sheila365 
Indeed, you didn’t kill it. It seems to be thriving.
Hi karen. I know some people like to let crepe myrtles grow un-pruned, some people like to shape them. I’d like to re-plant this one in a specific spot in the yard, so I’m going for tall and lanky 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to comment.