I have a double row of crape myrtles planted across my property, Tontos. Last spring there was about a foot or more die back in the tops of all of them. They have been in for seven years. This was the first time there has been die back. Tontos are a shrub variety growing about 8-12 feet depending on how far south you are. The Tuscaroras and Natchez row did not have the die back. These are the tree types. I believe the reason had nothing to do with the variety, but rather lack of moisture the previous fall of 2005 and drought in the early part of 2006. The tontos are planted on a ridge which tends to dry out more than the ones on the side of my property. I beieve there is no typical winter die back. I am farther north than you are and other than that caused by the drought, I have had no winter die back in seven years. I have 175 crape myrtles on my property. I simply cut out the winter die back. At first, I decided to leave it, thinking the newer, lower growth would hide the die back, but decided that the die would be unsightly and could leave a way for insects and disease to attack the crape myrtles. One last thought, have you given them time to completely come out yet, we have had unusual cold weather at times this year. I have no sign of life on mine. Last year they were coming out about now. Trees and shrubs will start to green up lower on the stems before greening up at the tops. Of course, you can snap or thumb nail scrap the stems to see if there is any green.

Fertilizing won't do anything for this situation. In fact, as a general rule, I think it's safe to say that fertilizing is a bad default "do something" with trees. Some CMs as you know leaf out VERY late. The fact that a nearby CM of the same variety has started to leaf out in a nearby location is not a good sign, but even small changes in microclimate can make a difference, so a little more patience is probably called for and certainly won't hurt. It will either leaf out eventually or it won't. In the latter case, it's dead.

Well, SC is my home state, and Aiken is my neck of the woods, so I'm telling you, if you get on the Freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org/group/US/South%20Carolina/Aiken) or the Carolina forum here and ask, you can end up with lots of places to go, and a ton of free plants. South Carolinians love to garden, and love to share. Crinum lilies will also grow there, but what you want to really get is azaleas and dogwood, and a lot of bulbs. Yes, Crape Myrtles do well there (I had a hedge of 28 of them), but they grow them differently, mostly as multiple trunks. There are so many different flowering plants to choose from, and all your stone fruits (cherries, peaches, plums) will grow there. I'll give you a short list of things I had growing in my yard: Azaleas (the ones up there are so much prettier than the ones down here, and if you find a local grower, they can be had for next to nothing) Dogwood Flowering Crabapple (can also use the fruit for preserves) Pink Mimosa (a bit invasive, but easy to control) Crape Myrtle Bridal Bouquet (has to be protected from the cold) Quince (BEAUTIFUL spring blooms) Pussy Willow Confederate Rose (Hibiscus Mutabilis...I have seeds if you want them) Hardy Hibiscus (these can be expensive at nurseries, because they won't withstand the winter unless they're two years old, but they are easily grown from seed, and kept in pot over the first winter, then put out. Ask for seed on the Hibiscus forum) Purple Leaf Plum (puts out a cloud of pink blooms in spring. Plums are pretty much inedible, but the leaves are gorgeous) Bradford Pear (ornamental only) Datura and Brugmansia (grow quickly, but die down in the winter, and need protection from freezes) Daffodils, jonquils, paperwhite narcissus, grape hyacinth Daylilies (these do great!) Crinum lilies (the shorter ones do best) Amaryllis FRUITS: Peaches Plums (wild red and yellow, and Santa Rosa) Kiefer Pear Muscadine Grapes (I had wild purple and hybrid gold) Blackberries (I had hybrid, but the wild is good too) Apples Figs (these do great too) Pecans Strawberries (ask around and see if you can get a few starts of the old timey super sweet ones. Tiny berries, but wonderful!) Blueberries (wild and hybrid) Gooseberries I could go on, but I had 5 acres, so it would be a very long list. But seriously, don't be afraid to just stop by someone's yard and ask for cuttings, seeds, whatever. I'm telling you, South Carolinians are the best for sharing plants! I have plants right now in my garden that people gave me when I left. I have just as many that didn't make it, because they won't grow here. 1/3 of my moving truck was filled with plants. LOL I'd find a local garden club, Aiken should have one or two, and get some info. Or you can just go to the library. Also, if you can find a local feed and seed (and believe me, Aiken is full of them), someone there can tell you about the local places that are cheaper, or who has the best garden in town that could help you. And I'm so jealous! Aiken is horse country, which means all the free manure you want, and if you make friends with a horsey person, they might even load up their pickup and bring it to you. Take it from a born and raised South Carolinian, there is nothing easier than getting free plants for your yard from SC gardeners. Now I'm getting homesick. :(

If they've got new leaves, they're alive, but the stems may not be. Have you been watering them? This winter/spring/summer has been very dry for parts of Tennessee. If you're in the dry part, your crepes may need a little extra water to make as much growth as they can from 'energy' stored in the roots from last year. Wait a couple of weeks and if no growth emerges on the stems, and all the new growth is still from the ground, continue to protect the new growth until it hardens. (One reason for leaving the woody dead bits is (around our house), there is less chance for an accidental mowing over if vertical wood is involved.)