is this one going in the ground? .. if so.. how much space is it allowed???

I think I will end up putting one in the ground in the front yard, and maybe one in a raised bed memorial garden for all the cats I've had. I want to put one of these L-shaped beds at each of the 2 back corners of my back yard and a couple 8' straight ones between them and along the fence perpendicular to them. I would put the dwarf crape myrtle in the 2 x 2' section in the middle. Does anyone have a better choice of what to put in that section? I will bury the ashes of my various cats in that section, and put a nice cat sculpture there as well, to honor my past beloved companions.

The soil by my house is heavy clay. The raised beds would allow me to use a better soil and also not have to bend over so far to garden.

'Pocomoke', one of the National Arboretum hybrids is a dwarf pink crepe myrtle, rated hardy through zone 6.

I have a dwarf pink crepe raised via cutting from the parent plant, which was originally started from a mixed packet of seed sold by Park Seed. That one has survived and flowered reliably for many years in zone 6. Unfortunately, it looks like Park's doesn't sell crepe myrtle seeds any more, and I can't find any commercial seed seller who does so.

I ordered a Infinitini Purple dwarf crape myrtle for the raised bed (picture I posted under Ken's comment) and a new Berry Dazzle for the front yard, not far from the sidewalk. I saw that Infinitini and it was "game over". I hope it's as beautiful as it looks online. That's a newer line of dwarf crape myrtles than the Dazzle series.

A picture from Proven Winners

New Berry Dazzle has been planted in the ground in the front yard. It is a stunning specimen, 10 times nicer than the one I got last year. That's the Berry Dazzle right in front, with the pile of soil next to it. And now you all can see what I've been up to this week. Contractor dug out turf in 2 curved beds in lawn, plus a curved bed in front of 2 basement windows on either side of the porch. I planted 7 Soft Touch Japanese hollies, a Gold Mound dwarf spirea at te extreme left, and a Color Guard yucca in a pot at the extreme right. The pot is to keep the yucca's long roots from messing with the gasline pipe that runs under the front yard. The bricks edging the garden beds will be topped by the faux river rocks piled up in front of the stone planter. The garden beds will be mulched with river rock.

My front porch is sporting a window box and a shepherds hook. The wire rack with the hostas is to the left. As soon as I get my cedar raised beds assembled in the backyard, beyond the white fence, the hostas will go in those. I am expecting a big batch shipment of them tomorrow.

In the backyard, I have a bunch of rose bushes I got for 50% off at Home Depot. They are to go in my half of the grassy strip between my driveway and the neighbor's driveway, after I put up a picket fence down the middle. All his trash blows into my yard, so the picket fence should help and the roses will be just for pretty.

I am also making a fountain for attracting birds in the backyard, out of 2 salvaged galvanized tubs and a solar pump. Haven't assembled those yet, so just wait for pics.

Of course, everything I do is carefully supervised by my Maine Coon Dandi...