Now that we are into the midst of summer and enjoying the pleasant evenings, it is nice to look out over the garden and enjoy lots of color. When it comes to providing summer color in the perennial border, there are few that can match the flower power of Garden Phlox.
My all-time favorite is Phlox ‘David’. I call it a goliath not because it grows a little taller (about 3 feet or so depending upon conditions), but because it is a superb variety. Of all the varieties I have grown over the years, this one stands head and shoulder above them all.
For me, this variety has it all. It is a good, robust grower with huge, pure white flower heads on strong sturdy stems. It is wonderfully fragrant, easy to grow and care for, and like other summer Phlox, it is great for cutting. 'David' brings in butterflies from all over the neighborhood, but most fantastic of all, it is remarkably resistant to powdery mildew.
You know the stuff I am talking about . . . that grayish-white covering on the leaves that looks like someone dusted the plants with talcum powder. Well, my plants are never sprayed, and if you could see them in all their glory, their foliage is “as clean as a whistle” with hardly a speck of mildew. It is, quite simply, a darn good plant that deserves a place in everyone’s garden.
We may not have been able to offer this splendid variety if some volunteers at the Brandywine Conservancy, near Philadelphia, had not collected seed from open pollinated native Phlox in the Brandywine Valley's natural areas. It was the keen eye of a knowledgeable and experienced nurseryman that noticed one of the resultant seedlings.
Richard Simon, from Bluemount Nurseries in Monkton, Maryland, was visiting the Brandywine River Museum at Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1978. Amongst a stand of these wildflowers he noticed that one plant of our native Phlox species (Phlox paniculata) stood out. He was excited to see that this white flowered form had large 6-inch flower heads and the foliage was free of the disfiguring mildew. He contacted the Horticulture Coordinator at the Museum, Mrs. F.M. Mooberry, and secured permission to take a few cuttings. Some years later, when sufficient plants were ready for introduction and a name had to be selected, Mrs. Mooberry suggested 'David', after her husband. This chance discovery is now grown and enjoyed all over the temperate world and has proven so reliable and popular that the Perennial Plant Association selected it as their Perennial Plant Of The Year in 2002
There is a simple elegance and quiet air of refinement that goes with using white in the garden. I love the way the big, pure white heads of this variety capture and reflect the light, especially in the evening. I find it is great color for lifting and adding life to dull corners or places that have dark backgrounds.
White is great for neutralizing color clashes, too. Have you ever noticed that if you take two colors that seem to clash a little, say yellow and pink, and then add in some white, suddenly the colors just seem to blend easier and with greater harmony? So, consider using more white colored plants. I think you will find that the other colors, and your pleasure, will be enhanced when you mix in more white.
When you visit our garden center you will see an incredible range of shades: from vivid reds and oranges, to the softest pinks and lavenders, to the cooling elegance of purples and blues, and the understated sophistication of white and bi-colors with their colored “eyes”.
Another one of my personal favorites is the stunningly beautiful Phlox ‘Natascha’, with its unique floral pattern - a combination of white and pale lavender-pink radiant flowers. This exquisite beauty has flared disc-like flowers that remind me of the paper windmills I used to make as a child and then hold aloft as I ran through the fields on my parents’ farm. Compared to other varieties, the young plants might tend to look a little “lean and thin”. But once Phlox ‘Natascha’ is planted out and growing strongly, this 2-foot-tall Russian beauty is as robust, strong, and full as any perennial I have in the garden. And it also has superb resistance to powdery mildew.
I was in contact recently with Luc Klinkhamer (a plant hunter and collector from the Netherlands), and he was telling me how he found it about 12 years ago in the Botanical Garden of Minsk in the former Soviet Union. He said it occurred as a sport from our native species, Phlox maculata, and that there were only 3 plants when he discovered it! The director of the Garden was Natascha Lunina, so he named it after her.
I think it is one of the prettiest flowers. I find myself admiring it every time I pass by. In fact, I often pick a head or two and put it in a bud vase. The flowers are so striking that it warrants a closer look and certainly a spot in your garden!
Thanks to advances in plant breeding there is an increasing selection of shorter, more compact varieties. Most notable of these are the Flame series: Phlox ‘Lilac Flame’, ‘Purple Flame’ and ‘Pink Flame’. They were specially bred in the Netherlands for their dwarf stature, with a neat rounded habit and only reaching about 15 inches. These are excellent for planting in places where space is limited.
Using them in containers is a perfect way to add color to summer entertainment areas like patios, decks, and swimming pools, and a brilliant way to brighten up dull boring corners, doorways and entranceways. By purchasing them in a larger container, they instantly provide marvelous, long-lasting color. There is no need to transplant them because there is enough sustenance in the pots to safely keep them going through the rest of the season. Just water them regularly and do a little dead heading. A few pots set into a window box or some decorative planters and you have color that is sure to impress. Then, at the end of the season when it’s time to change the display, just plant them out in the garden where you will be able to enjoy them again for years to come.
Several medium-sized ones grow a little larger - around 20 – 30 inches or so. Take a moment and check through our selection. I am sure you will find the colors and sizes that suit your needs best.
To extend the flowering period as long as possible, there is a little trick that’s worth passing on: snip off the fading flower heads just as the last flowers are going over. This encourages new, fresh growth from lower down on the stems. In a few weeks this brings renewed flowering that will extend into early autumn.
To find out more about all of our Phlox and how to grow them, check out our Plant Encyclopedia. Then come in and see us. There’s a whole host of exceptional Phlox awaiting your selection.
Until next time, remember.... Enjoy your gardening. It's good for you!
