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| From In the Garden |
It's that time of the month-Wildflower/Native Wednesday. For more posts on this subject see Gail at Clay and Limestone. I am highlighting tall garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) in this month's post. While phlox is probably not considered a wildflower it is surely a plant native to America. Not only is tall garden phlox native to most of the United States, it is a queen in the summer garden and this time of the year is when it shines most brightly.
The cultivar pictured above is a new kind of phlox commonly called 'Spinners' (Patent PP 17380). The Spinners phlox is very resistant to mildew, a definite bonus in our humid summers here in the south. In the year it has been growing here it has shown no issues whatsoever. I have even moved it a few times this season and still it is doing well.
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| From In the Garden |
I grow several cultivars here at Tiger Gardens. My favorite ones are the ones that do NOT get mildew. In addition to the Spinners phlox (very reminiscent of peppermint candy) another mildew resistant phlox growing here is 'Flame White'. Flame White is a dwarf garden phlox and quite a stunner in its own right. It is a Proven Winners selection and rightly so because it is a winner here.
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| From In the Garden |
I also grow 'Starfire', 'David', a white phlox, and an unknown light purple phlox; which gets mildew in a big way. Grrrr! I have not been pleased with David or the unknown purple. Starfire could do better in my opinion but as long as it blooms and does not get mildew it is a keeper here.
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| From In the Garden |
A very new addition to the phlox repertoire here is 'Nicky'. Nicky is a stunner! While it is not as tall as I'd like it to be I believe it will be a bit taller next year. I have read that 'Nicky' is mildew resistant but since it is so new I am not sure yet-but just look at that color! It is reputed to be the darkest purple of all phloxes. I personally like the deeply hued summertime perennials such as red and orange daylilies rather than pastels. Pastels just tend to get washed out in our hot sun here in the summer. Nicky is a perfect summertime perennial with her deep color.
Tall garden phloxes do well in full to part sun, the more sun the better, and rich clay soil. In my experience they will require some additional watering during particularly hot and dry summers. I don't do anything special to my phlox except perhaps add some compost and bonemeal once in a while to the soil. Phlox are heavy feeders and do require good soil. I have read where some gardeners cut their phlox back in order to keep the phlox shorter and blooming in a bigger way, but I do not cut my phlox back though I do deadhead. I have never sprayed for fungal diseases but I may just begin and see how that goes on my older phloxes. I do think it is wise to buy the newer cultivars because with the newer ones I have I have had no issues with mildew whatsoever.
Now a question for you, who knew tall garden phlox was a native American wildflower and what is your favorite cultivar....
in the garden....?
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,
In the Garden
I became a Phlox lover last gardening season. You just can't beat it's determination to shine! I have Nikki and she came back stronger and bigger this year than she was last year when I purchased her! Yours are all lovely..
ReplyDeletePhlox always gives me warm feelings as I got mine as a pass-along from my Mother, who got hers as a pass-along from a neighbor, who got hers from her Mother. I do not know what type it is, it is pink and smells wonderful. Very special flower to me!
ReplyDeleteTina, It's a native and in my book that makes it a wildflower and a beautiful one at that~I'll have to look at Nikki, but I can tell you that Laura is an outstanding bloomer in both semi-shade and sun. Isn't nature grand~glad you joined in! gail
ReplyDeleteYour gardens are beautiful Tina! I am not very familiar with Phlox but I love how they fill in your garden with plenty of color. The white ones are enchanting.
ReplyDeleteI only had one cultivar in my garden until last fall and that is 'Robert Poore' which is a medium shade of purple. It is a long bloomer but does suffer from some mildew issues from time to time. :( Mainly if we get too much rain, the humidity doesn't seem to effect it as much. Last fall I added 'David's Lavender', so far it doesn't seem that impressive to me. It might not be crazy about it's current spot though...so I'm not giving up yet. :) I love that dark purple 'Nicky' of yours, that might be a great addition to my purple & yellow theme in the Shed garden. And that candy cane effect on Spinner's is pretty cool too.
ReplyDeleteI have no Phlox - but sure am impressed with yours! I really must work at injecting more color into my perennial beds. These photos are SO fine. I really enjoy looking at your garden.
ReplyDeleteDarla, That is great news on Nicky for sure.
ReplyDeleteLinda, Phlox can definitely evoke strong feelings-a good thing.
Gail, I was shocked to find out phlox was a native. I surely thought an import from England.
Rosey, This phlox is native to most of the US but not Colorado. Darn! That might why you are not familiar with it. It is a mainstay here.
Racquel, I'd like to try Robert Poore. I think that is the one I see blooming in all the front yard gardens around here. Seems to be a good bloomer?
Rebecca, Glad you like the photos. The darn sun got in the way on the last one even though I try to avoid that. My camera is not fancy so I have to work hard with it but I think they get the message across. I love color in my garden and world-can you tell?
I see these all over, I even believe they are wild on the side of the road. They sure are pretty...
ReplyDeleteAnother 100 degree day here in GA, Yikes...
ReplyDeleteI do not have any summer phlox only the spring blooming type. I really do like your colors of phlox and should have some in my garden. Too hot to plant anything else this year so maybe next year.
I do love the look of the peppermint-candy striped 'Spinners,' but the purple 'Nicky' would fit in so well in my garden. I've avoided planting any phlox for years because of the mildew problems, but these new cultivars sound like the perfect remedy for that.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if your tag says Nicky and mine says Nikki and they look just a like, are they really the same or is it just interpretation of the spelling?
ReplyDeleteI have always loved Phlox!! As did Nana. I have not had any for years but now have a red one out front. They are usually a happy and healthy plant that is pretty and smells good. We mostly do not have mild do problems up here. I have a few minor probles with it but never with Phlox. Nicky is an awesome color. I will have to look for that.
ReplyDeleteDawn, we do have Wild Phlox here.
My mom has always loved phlox. I really need some in my garden. Your peppermint candy one is my favorite. I love petals with multiple colors!
ReplyDeleteI used to grow Phlox paniculata in my first garden. I have no idea what varieties they were one was pink and the other was white. And they really do great in clay soil which makes me think I should get some for my current garden. Thanks for the inspiration Tina.
ReplyDeleteI love Phlox! I really like when you have bigger pictures and I can see what you have growing with it. Your garden is quite a bit farther along than ours. Phlox is still getting big here, but no blooms yet. One thing about 'David' is that it reseeds like crazy here and can be a little hard to get rid of. Have you noticed that? The rest of mine are well behaved. I love 'Nicky', I'd like to find that one.
ReplyDeleteDawn, They smell good too!
ReplyDeleteSkeeter, Hot here to girl! Time to stay inside for sure..
Rose, The newer cultivars are really fantastic. I'm sticking with them only now that I see how they perform. You'll like them too.
Darla, It for sure says Nicky, but many tag makers use different spellings. I'm sure it is the same thing.
Mom, Nana was a very traditional type of gardener with her perennials and all. I follow her lead in my garden too. So glad you have some garden phlox too!
GSS, That Spinners is for you then. It is quite the unique thing in the garden and adds some serious pizzazz.
Melanie, Let us know which ones you get okay?
Catherine, David self seeded her too though I can't see how since it only bloomed once in all the years I've had it (like 8). It never blooms and gets mildew. Urgh. Glad you like the big pics. I do the copy and paste thingy. Do you use that way too to get big pics?
HEY ALL! I'VE BEEN OFFERED A GIVE A WAY FOR MY READERS TO POST ABOUT SOMETHING GARDEN RELATED. WHILE I GLADLY POST ABOUT GARDEN RELATED CAUSES AND THINGS I FEEL RELATE TO THIS BLOG I DO NOT OFTEN ACCEPT ANYTHING IN RETURN; HOWEVER I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE FOR YOU ALL TO GET SOMETHING FROM THIS BLOG-ESPECIALLY IF SOMEONE ELSE SPONSORS IT. PLEASE SEE MY SIDEBAR FOR A POLL. REGARDLESS, I WILL POSTING A GIVE A WAY NEXT WEEK IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE BUT THOUGHT I'D ASK YOU ALL YOUR OPINION. PLEASE WEIGH IN FOR ME. IT IS ALL ANONYMOUS;)
Phlox looks like Dame's Rocket, and I am seeing that everywhere right now in southern Maine.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is lovely.
Hi Tina, I have Nicky on my list. Thanks to you and a few other bloggers for enabling me into yet another plant to find a spot for:)
ReplyDeleteI agree, hybridizers are giving us more and more mildew resitant varieties. Good!!! The days of the naked legged phlox might be almost over.
It seems different hybrids are available in different areas of the country. I have Starfire (which was deathly sick thoughout her first year but is fine this year) but I've never heard of Spinners.
Why don't you care for David. Here it's probably the most massive bloomer of all my phlox.
Marnie
Gardenpath, Hello and welcome all the way from my home state of Maine! Thank you so much on the garden yours is also quite beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMarnie, David was my first phlox many years ago and after the first year it never bloomed. It did and still does send up sprouts and try as I might it won't bloom. I had almost given up on garden phloxes when I spotted Spinners at a Krogers (of all places and also where I found Nicky) and I also got a start from a client's garden. I've heard good things about David but it is not too shade tolerant and here it has to be to do well. That is most likely the gardeners fault and not Davids but such is life. These newer cultivars are great. Look out for Spinners it should be near you. I find plants in all the wrong places because I like never buy from nurseries-shhh. Don't tell the professionals okay?
I love your phlox. Sadly I don't have any. Would like to add some to my garden.
ReplyDeleteToo hot to do anything now.
Hi Lola, Try to stay warm in Florida. It is not so bad today as yesterday but still pretty hot. I think garden phlox would do well in your garden and hope you can add some this fall when it is cooler. Everyone have a great night!
ReplyDeleteHi Lola, I think blogger ate my first comment so here goes. Stay cool down there. It is mighty hot lately. I sure hope you can add some garden phlox to your garden come this fall when it cools down a bit.
ReplyDeleteI like that cultivar you have there. For some reason, a mass planting of my phlox has just up and died. I think it just got fried in the heat, but suspect some vole digging beneath might have made it weak. It just looks odd.
ReplyDeleteI added Nicky last year, but then promptly moved it in the fall. It's so short that I think it's somewhere in a tangle of coneflowers and perennial heliotrope! I think I saw it's cute purple dome yesterday (couldn't stand the heat today and jumped in the pool early on).
Mr Linky is up and working on my post if you want to link...gail
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to go back and look at the Phlox Tina ~ I was too mesmerized by the yellow gate & the armillary to look at anything else! They are such great additions to Tiger gardens and the exact thing I'm drawn to...
ReplyDeleteI love phlox and have quite a few in my garden. I purchased them when I just started gardening and before I knew they were susceptible to fugus problems. Of course, the ones I bought were of the older cultivars and not mildew-resistent so I have to spray them with organic fungicide weekly. Even with spraying them I still have fungus problems, but the spraying keeps them alive and under control (I usually lose the lower 1/4 leaves but is able to keep there rest alive). I also have a problem with ants burying in the roots which has killed some stalks at time. Ant spray usually does the trick but I'm wondering if that is a known problem that you've seen. Anyway, the payoff is blooms until fall, which I love!
ReplyDeleteHi Tina, My favorite is the native variety in my area, woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata, no cultivar). I do have some cultivars, or garden phlox as I call them, but I don't know what they are. I think today is our check-in on another topic, too--will email!
ReplyDeleteI knew it was a wildflower, and 'Nicky' is my current favorite cultivar. I don't think it's the darkest purple anymore. I think 'Wendy House' is darker, and it is reputed not to change color throughout the day like 'Nicky.' (I don't have 'Wendy House' - yet.) I don't like 'David' because it needs to have the spend flowers removed, otherwise it's a brown mess.
ReplyDeleteHi Tina, I love phlox, too...and just about any that will bloom is ok by me! I have several unknown varieties...unknown only because when planted many years ago, I didn't make a note of their identity. They are pink, and purple. They both do very well here. I moved them last year, from my front corner-driveway gardens, to places along the side of my house, and in the back of the house. From 4 plants I now have at least 12, if not more. They are just now beginning to bloom. I moved them because they were being continually eaten by the deer. The
ReplyDeleteeating did help them to keep making new blooms, though! I still have to spray organic deer repellant on those in the sideyard, because those deer find them, no matter where I put them. The ones in the backyard have a fence around them so probably won't be munched on. I will watch them and see if 'not' being eaten will make a difference in their ongoing blooms. If it does, I'll go out and deadhead them or cut them back from time to time. I guess there are both pro's and con's to having the deer around!!
I just put my first paniculata into the garden, and liked it so much bought another one. I got one of the new Candy Store series, Coral Creme Drop.
ReplyDelete