Hi Suzy: I like tall phlox for my wet areas, and creeping phlox for my dry high areas. I once got a red creeping phlox from Spring Hill Nursery, but lost it to tree roots. They don't sell the red creeping phlox at the store, so it's doesn't spread well.

Biggest regret? I once saw a salmon tall phlox (same color as Liv Tyler rose). It was on sale for $5 - I didn't buy it, and have never seen the same color ever since.

Your phlox ground cover sounds lovely, Campanula! I have to agree with you on mulch. I hate the stuff. I know, I know, it's supposed to hold in moisture and keep the ground cool but seriously, it's UGLY! And since I am an inveterate barefoot gardener it's out of the question. I've tried alyssum but the darn stuff never spread and ended up not wintering either. I'd love to see your phlox covered garden!

just what i needed, something to cover the ground but not compete with the roses. used herbs...catnip, thyme, oregano, germander...but will try phlox...

does the list EVER end????

Strawberryhill, the salmon-colored phlox you saw was possibly 'Rijnstroom' or 'Salmon Beauty'. Both are extremely hard to find now, and certainly are not available from any commercial mass production companies that would distribute to local nurseries. You best bet is to contact Rachel at Perennial Pleasures Nursery in Vermont and ask her what she recommends. She still has both of the above varieties available for spring shipping.

Campanula, I agree that phlox of all types are so useful. I am filling my garden space with heaps of Phlox paniculata cultivars, as well as many forms of the lesser known species like P. divaricata, P. stolonifera and P. pilosa. It seems like phlox have been overlooked and taken for granted for far too long, especially on their native continent. And I LOVE hardy geraniums, too! I have already planted 15 different varieties and forms this year. As Margery Fish once wrote: "When in doubt, plant a geranium..."

Another useful ground cover/garden weaver plant that is often overlooked is Callirhoe involucrata. It looks very much like a geranium from a distance and is incredibly hardy and drought tolerant. I think people tend to avoid it because of its eye-stingingly glorious magenta flowers. It is such a brilliant, tacky hue that I can't help but love it. Most people, when they see it in person, also love it. It is just when they read about "nasty tasteless magenta" in books that causes the problem.

And speaking of magenta, some of the best shades are found in cultivars (and the wild species form) of Phlox paniculata.

Here is a link that might be useful: Perennial Pleasures Nursery

I don't care so much for the tall phlox--it tends to mildew around here, but I have grown one variety or another of the creeping woodland phlox for a couple decades. I'm a big lover of geraniums too! I've put in 6 or 7 different types this spring including a one that was unmarked so it is a bit of mystery.

But my favorite ground cover is a little epimedium (Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum') that is one of the very few plants that has been happy for me in dry shade. Actually I think it is just happy. I pulled hunks of it out of my garden before I moved and took it to my new house where it sat on the sidewalk in full sun through the heat and drought of summer in a plastic grocery bag. Months later I stuck it in the ground thinking it was probably hopeless and sure enough it's back like gangbusters this spring. This is a great plant for new beds to fill in where you really need to leave space for maturing plants but don't want to look at mulch. It's evergreen through all but the coldest part of winter and one of the first plants to wake up at winter's end. Need to plant something over the shallow roots of a big tree? This is your plant. Have I mentioned how much I love this plant?

Thank you, Ispahan for the info. on salmon phlox. Also thanks to subk3 for the recommendation of Epimedium, or Barrenwort. I checked the pics. out, they are very pretty for dry shade. I learn so much from this forum.

Perennial phlox won't grow here, but I love the drummondii. I'm trying to create a wild meadow in my side yard. I started with red drummondii and they have cross-bred until now I have white, pink, purple and red. I also have Plume Gallardia, a few Baby's Breath and Rudbeckia in this meadow so far, and it's beginning to look great. I'm hoping by next year it will be breathtaking. Unlike the rest of my garden, which our earlier extreme heat devastated, the meadow still looks great, and I'm hoping will last another month or two.

blimey Seil - barefoot! My feet have been encased in Timberlands for 15 years - they only see daylight when I have a bath or go to bed. Consequently, my feet look like pallid corpses with horns - a horrible sight.
Mmmmm, callirhoe - I agree, this is a fabulous plant - it grows in a pot and hangs over the edge, trailing down off the wall. I am eagerly waiting on a seed-grown Texas native (I think) - callirhoe bushii - supposedly a more upright poppy mallow.
Yep, subk3, my son is a big fan of epimediums, often spading out a chunk of this or that for me - I have another yellow, E.perralchicum (or vaguely similar) and a white one, E.niveum. He has told me to expect E.Lilafee and E.warleyensis. They really are terrific plants for dry shade (although I have a minuscule one with serrated leaves which hovers on the brink of death, never actually going over the top - causes great anxiety. Florida, P.drummondii come in lovely colours and I quite like the witty play on words with the variety 'phlox of sheep'. The meadow sounds delightful.
Strawbs, why am I not surprised that you grow FRAGRANT phlox? I struggle with mildew (and eelworm) although the maculata do much better (but are harder to find, and even if you do, there are usually only 'alpha' and 'omega' to choose from) The P.carolina is a new one to me but seems a bit like a more compact maculata. So many plants, so little space (and cash).

Hi all:

I included a link to Perennial Pleasures Nursery in my post above. Today I received my order from them and it truly exceeded my expectations. Healthy plants with great roots and multiple stems.

I am now a very happy gardener with a collection of Phlox paniculata cultivars! :-)

Ispahan

following this thread and went to look at phlox today. there were so many!!! and so widely different from each other.

but.

doesn't it just bloom in april (zone 8ish)? i'm trying to learn more about this, as y'all are raving!! love that!

Ilovemyroses, I don't know when phlox blooms in your area, but the P. paniculata cultivar 'John Fanick' was actually selected in Texas by the owner of Antique Rose Emporium for its superior heat and humidity tolerance. It is supposed to be all but impervious to mildew and quite fragrant as well. Other phlox you might be interested in are 'Robert Poore' and 'Delta Snow'. Both of these were selected in the deep south, maybe Mississippi or Alabama, though I can't recall the details at the moment.

LOVE phlox. I want to do the exact same thing to cut down on weeds. Such beautiful fragrance. I love divicarta 'May Breeze' its the most wonderful off-white, lightest blue, dove grey and SMELLS GREAT. Some phlox have a slight curry smell I don't like much though. Phlox does great here though. As does penstemon. Both highly under utilized plants.

The fact deer tend to like the paniculata is probably why.

I also blame modern suburban planting style, everything is very sterile, phlox lend themselves to more the cottage look.

ilovemyroses, yep, most of the woodlanders are early bloomers but remain obligingly evergreen while the tall phlox (thank you, Isphahan (always seems like too many h's and a's) for the PPn info - amazing number of cultivars. The taller phlox are late summer bloomers and are a welcome change from the many reds and yellows around at the time. I don't grow leucanthemum (Shasta daisies) so the cool whites of P.Fujiyama and such are a good foil for the hotter colours of the autumn garden. More reliable for me than most asters too....and the sweetly spiced scent, mmmmm.

I'm a lifelong non phlox grower, but recently have begun thinking about them. Could phlox get by without summer water in a coolish, moist-ish (alongside a drainage that goes dry in summer) area with soil of high organic content and that is partly shaded? I'm talking about the drainage through the shade garden, along which I've planted roses. It can be extremely wet in wet periods. How about shade with heavy soil, but no summer water; an area where I have plants like pulmonaria, a tall campanula, geranium, Salvia glutinosa.
Ispahan, thanks for that link. The nurserywoman writes feelingly and entertainingly: it was fun to read.
Melissa

This forum is just horrible, for my wallet.

I HAD to stop by and see what phlox the local nursery sells. This of course left me wandering the rose fields and noticing there was only one William Shakespeare 2000 left.

Oh and the phlox, will have to go back and look some more later....

Melissa, Phlox have deep foraging roots and ought to do well on your heavy soil, given the added drainage of slopes and hills. FWIW, I would recommend starting with some of the earlier phloxes, especially P.diviricata and avoiding the larger P.paniculatas, looking for P.maculata or P.carolina, especially a cultivar called Miss Linguard.

Suzy,
Thank you, ma'am, that's what I needed to know.
Melissa

Melissa,

I agree with Campanula that the phlox should succeed. Here the pulmonaria shrivels before the Phlox paniculata. If your pulmonaria succeeds at that site, your phlox should.

Cath