analysis: landscaping (perennial flowers) –    Phlox

What to know about perennial phlox –

Notes:

• About Phlox Flowers:

  The name is derived from the Greek word phlox meaning flame in reference to the intense flower colors of some varieties. They are found mostly in North America that bloom in spring, early- and late-summer. Flowers may be pale blue, violet, pink, bright red, or white. Many varieties are fragrant.

• Some species (know as the garden phlox) grow upright; it’s a native American wildflower that blooms in the summer months. Other species known a creeping or moss phlox spreads like ground cover. It can be planted to cover banks, fill spaces under tall trees, and trail over slopes.
• The advantage of phlox – as a perennial planting – is that the blooms can last several weeks, giving your garden color from early spring and through the summer.
• REFERENCE: information lifted from wikipedia
  INFO: all about phlox
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• Where to Grow Phlox:

  the creeping phlox or moss phlox is a favorite perennial planting that blooms in the spring and early summer. It spreads like a ground cover with a carpet of colorful flowers from violet, pink, blue, red and white.

• These low-lying phlox fit nicely around mailboxes, low-lying beds, hillsides, and under tall trees. Once the blooms end, you have a nice carpet of bluish-green cover.
• The garden phlox are taller perennials with a floral display on stems. They have both medium- and taller-height varieties for all types of garden planning. These garden phlox come in a range of colors that bloom for several week. Some varieties bloom early summer with others in the late summer. By planting seasonal varieties will give seasonal color along a fence, side building, or mingled with other tall perennials.
• INFO: how to plant, grow, and care for phlox
  INFO: types of phlox flowers
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• Garden Planning With Phlox:

  the different varieties of phlox include 1)height: from low ground cover to medium-high and tall stem flowers; 2) blooms in spring, summer and late summer; and 3) varieties that love full sun and those that grow best in shade. So you have a number of different ways to plan your phlox garden.

• The creeping and moss phlox come in both sunny and shade-like varieties with varying colors. Use this low-lying perennial in garden beds, around trees, and along slopes or other areas where you would like a nice, colorful ground cover.
• Medium- and tall-height phlox can be combined with other seasonal perennials and annuals. You can plant them along fences, side building structures, and use them as varying height backgrounds within a garden bed. Or better yet, dedicated a garden spot for just the many different varieties of phlox that bloom during the seasons.
• Most phlox need full sun for best blooms. However, you do have some varieties that do well in part-sun and shade.
• IMAGES: phlox in garden beds
  IMAGES: places to use creepy phlox
• INFO: how design garden using phlox and other plantings
  INFO: plant combination with phlox
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• Care and Harvesting Phlox:

  phlox are low maintenance perennials – just let then come up and bloom. However, phlox are susceptible to mildew, insects, and other fungal-like diseases. So some care may be needed to keep phlox healthy and blooming.

• Most phlox blooms will last between 4-6 weeks. To keep the plant strong and from seeding, you should deadhead stem phlox once the flower declines. If not, it will seed and produce a weedy section in your garden that may not bloom.
• You should divide the parent phlox every 2-4 years to keep the parent plant strong with full blooming. It’s best to divide phlox in early spring when the first shoots appear. Split sections can be replanted in other parts of the garden or given away as gifts.
• Only the garden phlox (not the creeping phlox) are edible. The flowers are often added to soups or used to flavor oriental dishes and salads.
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• INFO: how to care for creeping phlox
  INFO: Problems of Perennial Phlox
• YOUTUBE: ground cover: planting creeping phlox
  YOUTUBE: how divide garden phlox
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• Phlox Summary:

  Light:  full sun, part sun, shade
  Soil:  sandy, loamy (fertile soil of clay and sand containing humus)
  Height:  6-12 inches (creeping), 1-3 feet (medium), 3-8 feet (tall)
  Width:  from 6-36 inches
  Flower:  blue, purple, red, white, pink
  Foliage:  blue/green, gold
  Season:  spring, summer, late summer
  Features:  low maintenance, attracts butterflies, attracts birds, fragrant
  Benefits:  drought tolerant
  Propagation:  division, seed, stem cuttings
  Zones:  2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
  INFO: view growing zones
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