Hi Jenny, Welcome to GW, PA neighbor. Intrested in the Phlox, how much do you have? I have seedlings of the rose campion, and mature campanulas in lavendar and a dark blue. Lemme know, no problem waiting a bit for the trade, gees keeping up with the mowing has me behind dividing perennials.

pippi21 - what is the compass orientation of the affected bed & its sun exposure/shade cover? A number of perennials can survive the seasons in a container but there are others (i.e, lavender) that suffer from too much winter moisture such as snow and/or rain. I was a bit surprised but happy when WS Heuchera/coral bells, delphinium, Astilbe, Agastache, Alchemilla mollis/Lady's Mantle, Platycodon/balloon flower, Siberian iris & Spirea all came through the winter in gallon pots/larger containers on my breezeway. Phlox sublata/Creeping phlox is a spring-blooming perennial and as long as it gets moved in the fall when it isn't blooming or too stressed due to dry conditions, should transplant in good shape. That's only my own general understanding of perennials speaking--not the voice of experience since I don't particularly like creeping phlox. My spring preference is P. divaricata/woodland phlox which is just as lovely but blooms for a much longer period than P. sublata. Again, it's only my own observation & what I read in my perennial guide but Papaver orientale/oriental poppies grow from seeds, not bulbs, and spread via rhizomes/traveling roots in much the same way as Missouri evening primrose (whose botanical name escapes me at the moment). It's my understanding they're best moved when very young plants as they don't like to be disturbed. You may or may not already know this but laying down a layer (or two) of corrugated cardboard under your mulch will be a huge help in discouraging weeds. I've found the cardboard is free & readily available at my local grocery store, package store or else the recycle bin at the town landfill. A judicious application of ordinary vinegar at the edges early in the season tends to discourage most weeds.

UK??? as in england? anyway, Like hld6 said this is normal. The leaves die back in autumm. Lilies are one of the most forgiving plants. They aren't fussy about where, how, when you plant them. If you must get the planting depth wrong it better too shallow than too deep. They will pull themselves down to the proper depth. They multiply at a rate of at least 6 to 1 per year for a full size bulb. I mulch my garden but they will be ok without that. Invading grass can be a problem so keep them weeded. DO NOT EVER over water them. Too much water will rot the bulb and they will be fine if left until it rains. I've never had a problem with squirrels eating any of my bulbs and I have the critters around. Ideal planting depth is 6". Too deep they may not grow, too shallow they will adjust themselves. A foot high seems a bit short for an Oriental unless its the first year you had it. I don't agree with the idea of underplanting with ferns. The ferns will in a short time crowd out the Lilies. But I guess you could control the size of the ferns. You can leave then in the ground over winter. The Orientals are the most fragrant and limited to pink,white and red and mixes and shades of those. The Asiatics and American hybrids are much taller and come in most any color and generally less fragrant. some Lilies multiply by growing small "bulbils at the top of the bulb, some at the bottom and some grow tiny bulbs along the stalk next to a leaf. The "baby bulbs" can be replanted anywhere and will over winter fine. Its quite hard to kill a Lily bulb. Just don't get them too wet. They reguire to be frozen in the ground or they won't grow next year. If you live in a warm climate dig them up and put in a freezer bag with enough peat to ensure full coverage and place in the freezer for 12 weeks.

Thanks for your reply. We are leaving for vacation on Wednesday; and I'm not sure I can get this task accomplished before we leave. A church friend called me yesterday offering me some Garden phlox and she is bringing them to church today and I will have to plant them this afternoon. She was wrapping them in a plastic bag and I'll go to her car after church is over and get them from her. Last Fall she divided hers and gave me two plants and they did beautiful this year. I'm not being picky over color because I am so delighted and thankful for her generosity and sharing. The one she gave me last year is a light lavender color. When we get back from vacation, I plan on having her come for lunch. Maybe I should just wait to divide those creeping phlox in early Spring or do you think in another few weeks will be the wrong time to do it? I don't want to lose the only emerald blue/purple one I have. Won't need any pink ones in 2011 unless the ones I planted this year don't make it through the winter, so I will only buy the blue/purple when they become available in the early spring at the garden centers. In 2005, we downsized and moved into a gated, Sr. Citizens community where there is limited flowerbed space. All of the lawn maintence and upkeep is done for us. Not the way we would have done it but hey, age has its advantages and drawbacks. I am starting to feel my flowerbeds are getting established. I tried wintersowing for the first time this past January and I plan to do it again in 2011 but more on a limited basis because of lack of room.