That's a beautiful phlox, Annie! I love that it changes colors, you'll have to let us know if it really does that in your garden. I hope is spreads with abandon in your garden, it will look fabulous with all of your gorgeous roses and other flowers.

MeMo

MeMo,

I have several colors of Garden Phlox and would love to send you starts if you would like them.

I have:
* David (White)
* Nicky (Deep Pinkish Violet with purple & green leaves)
* Pinky (Hot Pink)
* Fannick (Two tones of pink) - I got starts from plantmaven
* Purple Garden Phlox (old-time garden phlox -I brought with me from Louisiana in 1980)

and now...
* Blue Paradise (for my Charlie)

They are my favorite summer flower and my gardens would be empty without them. All are very, very fragrant and are Butterfly/Hummingbird magnets. Likes full sun, drought tolerant, and they multiply nicely, so you can spread them around throughout the garden or share them.

The white David doesn't reproduce as much for me as the others, but I will be able to get you one going.
To prevent powdery mildew, make sure they are in full sun and have air circulation around them. They will grow in shade or part-shade, but the stems tend to get long and weak, so they flop over. Also, the flowers are much smaller. Best planted in full sun and watered around their feet on the ground. Mulch helps with the P. Mildew problem too. Most of these are super resistant to P. Mildew. They never get it.
Flowers bloom all summer long.

If you want all or any of these, just say the word and they are yours.

Your friend,
~Annie

What a beauty. Please post some photos when it blooms.

Annie, you are so generous. Thank you so much! I would like to try some, so you be the judge of what you can send but wait on the Blue Paradise, for your Charlie, until it is well established. I don't want you to stress that beauty at all.

MeMo

Annie, I'm dying to see how "blue" it is for you!!! I have several phlox that do OK. David doesn't multiply for me, but it spreads like wildfire for my friend Henrietta, just 5 or 6 blocks from me!! I have Morris Beard (sp), Phlox caroliniana (blooming now) or "wild sweet william", a pink early blooming woodland phlox, I used to have the red starfire, and I also have Nicky in several places (electric glowing magenta). I really want white wedding phlox, and if this phlox you found is truely blue, I will want it too!!!

MeMo,

I have several colors of Garden Phlox and would love to send you starts if you would like them.

I have:
* David (White)
* Nicky (Deep Pinkish Violet with purple & green leaves)
* Pinky (Hot Pink)
* Fannick (Two tones of pink) - I got starts from plantmaven
* Purple Garden Phlox (old-time garden phlox -I brought with me from Louisiana in 1980)

and now...
* Blue Paradise (for my Charlie)

They are my favorite summer flower and my gardens would be empty without them. All are very, very fragrant and are Butterfly/Hummingbird magnets. Likes full sun, drought tolerant, and they multiply nicely, so you can spread them around throughout the garden or share them.

The white David doesn't reproduce as much for me as the others, but I will be able to get you one going.
To prevent powdery mildew, make sure they are in full sun and have air circulation around them. They will grow in shade or part-shade, but the stems tend to get long and weak, so they flop over. Also, the flowers are much smaller. Best planted in full sun and watered around their feet on the ground. Mulch helps with the P. Mildew problem too. Most of these are super resistant to P. Mildew. They never get it.
Flowers bloom all summer long.

If you want all or any of these, just say the word and they are yours.

Your friend,
~Annie

What the heck????
This crazy thing!

hehehe

GGG,

I think this phlox will be like that photo because the buds on it are. That is what caught my eye. It was the only one blue. It was sitting on a rack surrounded by pots of Nicky.
It is about 18" tall in a gallon pot and has deep blue buds on the top. There are two main stems that are very sturdy.
Nicky is such a vibrant magenta color that it glows. I divided it this year and the divisions are going bonkers, but the mother plant is doing the same. I think I will move it from its location. That obviously is the problem.

Same thing with my David. I divided it and planted each division in three new locations. Two are growing like crazy - tall and lush and spreading out, but the third one has not grown much at all. Location makes a difference!

BTW, come to think of it, that white phlox I have now is not David. My Phlox, David didn't make it. I had forgotten that until just now. This one I bought after the David kicked it. I have all my phlox tags in one of the seed boxes. I'll have to look at it and see what the this one is called.

I had a Red Starfure once, but it never made it to bloom. Bad drought year. I also have twice planted the Orange Perfection, but it never even got going. I hope to find a good, healthy pot of each someday.

I have two colors (no name) of the Creeping Phlox. They were originally native plants of the Pacific Northwestern states, but have been cultivated and bred to come in many colors now.

Once I get Blue Paradise going, I can send you a start too, GGG. Probably be next year though. So if you can't find one, I can send some to you too. I think I still have your mailing address.

~Annie

Annie,
I have that one and it's a beauty. The blue/purple is really cool, kind of irridescent. It's my favorite Phlox in my garden. enjoy!

jody

Annie that is a gorgeous shade of blue! Be sure and show us when it is in bloom.

My David finally disappeared but was good while I had it.

I have let mine get too thick and some have mixed and seeded so now I can't really say what is what. I do get mildew on lots of them. I was supposed to move and thin this year but didn't. They are my daughter's favorite garden flower. I should do a better job of caring for them.

I want to see all of yours when they bloom. Please.

glenda

That is so sweet. Congrats on getting the last one! I have 'Blue Paradise' too. I can't remember how blue it was, but I do remember that it was lovely. Of the four or so that I have, 'Blue Paradise' and 'David' are my favorites. Poor 'David' is behind my KO roses and is going to be moved. All of my Phlox (except for 'David' tend to have their lower leaves get wilty, yellow and die. Any idea what the problem is there? It's happening already again this year.

Lisa

What a colour!! That is spectacular! I need to look for some of that!! And electric magenta Nicky??!! Need to go looking for that, too!
And that little glitch? That's how my whole brain has been working these last few days - it's the '60s!! lol.

Nancy.

Lisa,

That "wilty, yellow and die". sounds like one of several possibilities:

* Too much water (they like soil that is rich but drains well)

* Not enough air circulation (you have to divide them every two to three years or they get crowded and die out.

* Or they are getting disease from being too wet or too crowded,

* OR they are too dry.

* OR a combination of any of these.

Phlox are like any other perennial - Divide and conquer!
Good soil - good plants. (this one is the hardest one to achieve, but THE MOST IMPORTANT GOAL to work towards in the garden. Instead of spending more money buying new plants, invest that money in improving your soil. That is the hardest thing to do, but the rewards are so worth it and will save you money and a lot of hard work in the long run.

The correct nutrients and water for that particular plant.

Any of these needs not being met will result in the demise of plants, and that includes all plants.

Hope this helps, Sweetie.

~Annie

Well, people,

Blue Paradise isn't a true blue. It is a blue violet. Beautiful, but not a true blue like my Charlie's eyes were. Plumbago is actually the exact color of his eyes, but it isn't hardy here so I have to buy new plants every year. It is just beautiful in with Tropical Hibiscus. But, I wanted something that would come back every year. Oh, well, it is different from the others and I know it will be a beautiful addition to the garden.

I planted Blue Paradise in with the new Coreopsis by the rose garden arbor. There is a clump of golden-orange Oriental lilies in front of it, so the colors are very pretty together. Blue and Gold, like the Cub Scouts or Donald Duck! :)

I've been topping all the iris leaves in the rose garden and it looks so much better. When they finish blooming, I cut them into fans and it always looks good. Makes it easier when it comes time to divide them too. Now I can see all the roses, phlox, coneflowers, daylilies & gladiolas that will soon be blooming. I love lots of colors in my gardens.

This Blue Paradise is a welcome color. Blues of any hue are not as common in my summer garden. I'm happy with it.

~Annie

Blue Paradise is my favorite phlox the shading of the colors in my garden is wonderful. As the day progresses the flower has more than one shade of purple to bluish tones. Visitors comment that they have never seen a phlox like that with such colors. I also have other varieties in my garden but this one wins favorite status hands down.

Aww, that's a bummer, but at least it's beautiful. Mine still isn't blooming yet. Thank you for the information on why my phlox has yellowing leaves. I'm guessing too much water is the culprit. The two that are affected are both near water sources. One is right next to my birdbath and the other is under a gutter that was overflowing regularly for a while, but that is now repaired. Might need to think about moving the one near the bird bath.

Thanks for your help, and I'm glad you're enjoying your new phlox!

Lisa

Annie~I still want Blue Paradise, do you think it would complement or clash with salvia? I have East Friesland and Caradonna, and one or the other would be in front of it.

Right now I have Laura, a magenta phlox with a white eye; it is shorter, and has never gotten any mildew. Looks nice with centaurea montana, if I can get it to rebloom. I like magenta and blue flowers together.

Also, I have a bed with couple of orange coneflowers (Sundown and Summer Sky) and a couple of orange yarrows (Fireland and Apricot Delight)and a peach colored daylily. Maybe this is where Blue Paradise should go?

Oh, if all of life's problems were like these!

Hugs to you (((annie))), my husband has those blue eyes too, like a swimming pool blue, the same color as plumbago! Maybe you could overwinter some in the garage, or close to the house since they're only one zone away from being hardy for you.

That's been on my Wish list for a year but I haven't found it locally. Let us know how it does this coming year..I'll look in my seed and plant catalogs too. Do you have any other garden phlox? I have several that I got from a recent plant swap and one that a church friend gave me last year, but neither have bloomed yet. The one I expect will bloom this year might be my friend's..and I'm anxious to see the color. She said she thought it was pink or purple.

Annie, Do you have any brunnera? It's blue flowers might be just the blue you are looking for, a shade darker than forget-me-not, but very similar in flower form.

If you don't have any, I'd be happy to mail you some. It's a wonderful, tough as nails spring-blooming shade plant.

GG,

I would LOVE some Brunnera! I looked it up on the web and it is perfect. The "Siberian" in its name told me that it could winter over for me here, too.
I have plenty of shade & part-shade now that my trees are getting bigger, thank God.
Thank you Sweetie.

How ironic that you posted that and brought this topic back up. I was just looking at old pictures of my Charlie last night. God, I miss my boy. It's been ten years, but it still hurts like it was yesterday. You never get over losing a child. Never ever.

Below is a link to the Memorial to my Charlie. It is on my Family History website.

You are welcome to tour it if you wish. (Some of you are related to me and others probably are too.) PLEASE Sign my Guestbook if you do.

~Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: Memorial for My Charlie

Annie, my garden is phlox-less, but I think your Blue Paradise information may be enabling me to end that! (Come fall--I'm doing as little as I can until it's at least 20 degrees cooler and the A/C is fixed.) Thanks for the information on your various cultivars. Will they go past the end of daylilly blooming season or finish first?

Your tribute page to Charlie is so touching. I'm sorry for your loss.

remontant,

Thank you for going to view Charlie's Memorial page and you kind condolences. He was my gardening buddy and everything else companion. We did almost everything together.

As to the Garden Phlox:
The first year they put down roots and a good base. They are perennials after all. So don't expect anything too spectacular the first year. But the second year - watch out!
You will be in for a treat. Both your eyes and nose will be happy you planted them. Just one sniff and they cause me to break into a smile. I can't help myself.
{{gwi:682782}} Fannick Phlox

They bloom continuously through the summer and are still blooming here well into October. In fact, they love hot days and cool nights. In October, my flowers all give it their last hurrah for the year and everything is in bloom. May and October are my gardens two best months. Warm days and cool moist nights - all my flowers love that combination.

Although Phlox are "drought tolerant" they do suffer from lack of water (or too much water). Just make sure you water them from the bottom when you do so you don't introduce Powdery Mildew from the soil splashing up on them. City water or even rural treated water can burn their leaves - it's the chlorine. So soak their roots down deep and thoroughly once in awhile. Allow them to dry out in between waterings. When it is hot out, water in the mornings only so they will not be damp at night. This introduces fungus and mildew as well.
{{gwi:682784}}
Phlox, Nicky

I never fertilize mine. You can add a little compost around their base if you wish, about three or four times during the summer, depending upon the quality of your soil. But honestly, I have them doing just fine on their own in the farthest reaches of my property without any help from me other than watering them when we don't get any rain.

The Butterflies love them. And you cannot beat their fragrance. It fills the air in my garden. It is pure D Yummy! (D = Delicious. That was what Charlie said about their fragrance (hahaha). Combine them with fragrant roses and you will think you are in the Garden of Eden.
{{gwi:682786}}
Phlox paniculata davidii 'David'

I would say Garden Phlox are the backbone flowers in my gardens. I have more of them than any other flower. They are especially lovely with roses and daylilies and oh, yes, Coneflowers. I love fragrance and colors in my garden, and therefore those four are my "mainest" flowers I grow.
{{gwi:682788}}
Old-Fashioned Purple Garden Phlox
Best wishes in growing them.
~Annie

Here is a photo I took of my little Blue Paradise Phlox. Can't say that it is much bluer than my Old-Fashioned Garden Phlox. Disappointing to say the least. In the shade it looks more blue, but it's only in shade in the evening.
{{gwi:682789}}

Here are the Blue Harebells I got from GG that are growing behind it to compare the blues. You can see the difference right off. The Harebells have a slight lavender hint to their color and yet they look a lot bluer than the phlox.
{{gwi:682790}}

Maybe it will be more blue next year. My Fannick Phlox had more color to it the second year.

Still, it is a pretty phlox and I LOVE phlox-es!
We shall see.
~Annie

Just beautiful photos, Annie! (Bad enabler, you! ;-) ) I already have other butterfly treats so it will be nice adding only one or two (ha!) more! ;-)

On a less silly note: my six-year old son is my garden helper, so my heart just breaks for you and your loss. *Hugs*

Thanks Sweetie.

My Phlox are really busting all of a sudden. They do that. You wonder if they will ever bloom...and then POP! your garden is filled with color and fragrance overnight it seems.
I am cutting a big bouquet of them to take to the cemetery this weekend. They won't last in this extreme heat, I know, but Charlie will love them and appreciate them for however long they last...and that is "the mainest thing", as he always used to say. The Tiger Lilies are budded and when they bloom, I will take him a big bouquet of them. I grow them just for him. I wish we had water out at the cemetery. I would plant his favorite flowers around his grave site so he would have them growing nearby. I think eventually there will be water out there. They paved that country road and it is building up out that way now, so it is only a matter of time that we will be able to get a water meter put in. Maybe since it is a cemetery, they will give me a discount on the rates. That would be great. (Ooops! Sorry for that side-step from the topic). I'm a blubberbox.

Best wishes to you and your little buddy in your garden. Cherish every moment together and live life to the fullest.

~Annie

What about "hardy plumbago"? Mine is true blue.

This is a beautiful phlox and the colour so rich!

I had delphinium in my previous garden with the same blue.

Anicee

Sweetannie,
I have just read the memorial for your Charlie - what a delightful boy! Blessings to you and his soul, which, I am sure, always around you.
~Natalie

Annie, I read your memorial to your son Charlie and it was as beautiful as I imagine he was. I am so sorry for your loss. I know God has a plan and a reason for everything, but I cannot understand why those who bring such light and joy to the lives of others are taken so soon. Your website is incredibly well-done. What a labor of love, intellect, and technical knowledge! Did you study graphic arts or learn it on your own? Great job!

Barbara in Virginia

Barbara,

Learned web design from the ground up. I was a complete Dummy about computers when I started posting my research, but was determined to learn and I did. The HTML code was hard at first, but after awhile, it was fun.
My website is so out of date! Gads! My computer crashed, twice, and I cannot find the tools I need to get it up to date and fix things. I need to redo my Guest Book - somehow it is getting a lot of spamming. Doesn't appear to be contagious - just annoying as heck! I wish RootsWeb, my host, would fix things so that couldn't happen or fix it for me, but they leave it all to me. Not sure how to clean up a website. Hmmm...But, I can't complain about them. They gave me that site for free years ago, and it's still free. I can use as much graphics and space as I want.

Thanks everyone for your kind and loving comments about my son and my site. Much appreciated.

~Annie

Annie, what a tribute to your son, what a loving mother you are! Having two sons, it brought tears to my eyes...

Thank you!