I love Phlox paniculata and have many fond childhood memories of vases filled with multi-colored phlox on my grandparents' dining room table and the sultry scent of phlox wafting on the humid summer air. Mildew or no mildew, I think it is one of the most beautiful of all perennial flowering plants, especially considering that they provide fragrance and color during what is often the bleakest, hottest and dustiest part of summer.

I have no affiliation with the company below, but I thought many of you would be interesting in learning about it since they offer 75 varieties of phlox this year, many of which are antique or found cultivars available no where else. I have about a dozen different types ordered for spring delivery and I can't wait to incorporate them into my garden. I am especially excited about a found type called "Old Cellarhole" which is reportedly one of the most fragrant of all Phlox and is highly resistant to mildew.

Kevin

I've been to Perennial Pleasures Nursery and it was a very nice trip. The people were extremely friendly and when I was there they field dug a phlox that I had wanted while I was there. Everything was very healthy and a good size. I'm not sure what size their mail-order plants are.

That was years ago. Your post reminds me I should head back up there!

I don't like the dumpy little dwarf types though. They probably sell good in bloom at Lowes but they don't make as nice a show in my garden.

Thyme2dig, how wonderful that you were able to visit in person! It must have been quite an experience. Rumor has it that this nursery also has a rare double-flowered Hesperis matronalis in its display gardens. I am not sure if it is available for sale.

Kevin, I agree that the tall phlox are intriguing. Did you notice the found cultivar "Mile High Pink" which is almost six feet tall? I have that one ordered for spring, too.

As for reseeding, I need to be extra diligent about deadheading to prevent unwanted seedlings. I love the magenta color of the seedlings, but their vigor soon overtakes and chokes out the parent cultivars. One solution is to grow sterile, or mostly sterile, cultivars like 'Jeana' which has very tiny florets that are supposed to be irresistible to butterflies! I have this one ordered for spring, too. It is available this year from Plant Delights and Lazy S'S (both excellent sources).

Concerning the link in the first posting: the picture of Wilhelm Kesselring is wrong. From that list I would not recommend following: Blue Paradise(terrible flopper), Dorffreude(rampant grower but VERY prone to mildew), Robert Poore(flopper) , Nicky(flops in rainy wind and do not come up again, burns in sun to white). Caution with David(rampant grower sending long runners), Kirmeslanlder-very healthy and rampant grower but with very running habit, Brigadier- lack of vigour, Hesperis -was without vigour for me.Natasha-rubbish with no will to live, Peppermint Twist-very high rate of reversion to pink, Starfire- slow grower and prone to fungi(black dots)

The ones I WOULD recommend: Miss Pepper, Orange Perfection(it is actually red, slow grower but otherwise easy), Wilhelm Kesselring(very early blooming, there are two other identical varieties but with different blooming times), Jules Sandeau.

I had double Hesperis matronalis, very weak plants for me,probably virussed. Died because I looked at them.

Kevin

I find that seedling quality depends on the parent (hmmmmm... a couple of analogies I can think of here). Some phlox put out alot of interesting seedlings, others are more likely to give a murky pink. But still I totally understand keeping them under control, they do tend to get around.

I think Laura is my most reliable phlox.... taller would be nice though!

Here are some old phlox pictures (I really need to go around and take new pictures this summer). Also I have a few new reds and purples that I'm looking forward to this summer... and a variegated... :)

Blue Paradise is generally more violet than blue when the sun is on it but if there's tree cover that shades it for an hour or so, the color changes to more like balloon flower blue. It hasn't shown signs of PM in the two years I've grown it.

I don't think I've got David sited well since it's been growing for 4 years same as Laura and just hasn't performed well at all. I don't normally fertilize anything except annuals so it could be a nutrient deficiency but nothing I've read suggests the plants need supplemental feeding.

gottagarden--that Nora Leigh is spectacular! I received Nora Leigh seeds in a trade and winter sowed them. They sprouted but I'm guessing the flowers won't come true from seed-grown plants. The foliage variegation may not come true either but I figured it was worth a recycled milk jug to find out!!!

I've got about six different varieties ranging from red through the pinks and whites to Blue Paradise, which was new last year so I can't make a good judgment yet.

I also got an Orange Perfection years ago, as a free gift with an order, that grows every year and has never bloomed. Perhaps it's not well-sited. I got it when I thought orange was a horrid color and I tucked it away in a corner of the yard - albeit it a full sun corner - and it has never bloomed. At first I didn't care but now that I've amended my ignorant ways and see the vibrant beauty of orange, I do wish it would bloom!

I love to put phlox in bouquets. It is a bit fragile, but it lasts quite long and smells so wonderful. And if there is any PM I just strip off the leaves and enjoy in the vase!

Dee

I'll be interested this year to see if any of my winter sown plants bloom and, if they do, what color flowers they produce. Costco sells bare-root perennials starting in late February-early March and last year I bought almost a dozen new phlox varieties so I'm hoping those bloom this year as well. One of them was 'Spinners' which has variegated pink & white striped flowers--fingers crossed that one blooms!

The link below is an evaluation of several phlox cultivars for mildew resistance with comments on fragrance and long bloomers.

Cheers,
Ispahan

A local nursery here had 'Early Start Light Pink' phlox that was blooming and I was using up a gift card. : )
It's a pretty color, very pale pink with a dark pink eye and is supposed to bloom earlier than other phlox. I haven't found many reviews on the Early Start series phlox and don't know yet whether it's going to be mildew resistant. I think they're relatively newish.

I LOVE my reverted Peppermint Twist. It had already reverted when I saw it at a nursery and I bought it anyway. Pretty coral pink color.