Hi~'Nicky' has been around; its reliably hardy and very resistant to powdery mildew, but that depends so much on growing conditions. You need to leave room around the plants so that air can circulate. I find that means they not only grow larger, but they also spread by seed, so give it some room to ramble. Similar in habit to bee balm. I kept the one seedling that looked like my original 'Laura', but that was a happy accident. Here's something interesting about the color. 'Nicky' is close to 'Laura' in color, without the white eye, right? My 'Laura' has a reddish magenta color that almost vibrates. I have read that 'Nicky' changes color. ' Blue Paradise' is said to have this same quality, changing from reddish purple to magenta, with a red eye, I believe. Phlox is one of my favorite plants, so I definitely want to try these.

Mary, I went outside and checked...right now it's only probably close to 3 feet tall, about same width. Where in central New York are you? We're in Baldwinsville, just outside Syracuse. I have to prune dead canes on virtually all my roses in April to about 6 inches, otherwise I'm sure it would be much taller! The blooms are incredible though. Thanks for your input, Olga. I love to see your roses!! :0) Phyl

WOW! I didn't realize what can'o'worms I was gonna open up here! ;P Hey Suzy! Glad you came back and said your piece. :) Woooo-hooo! So glad you are at Home Depot and can share your expertise! I was just at the local Armstrong Nursery/Garden Center today with Chelsea (had my butterfly parasol out and open for her since the sun as quite bright and I didn't want her getting too much sun/heat from being out with 'mama'). People were looking at me with smiles (and some with looks akin to "Look at that crazy lady!" Hey, at least my dog was able to enjoy her time out with me as I was out searching out to rescue caterpillars!). They had loads of Rue (whoa!) and even Asclepias (Milkweed) although the Milkweed was loaded down with Aphids. The good thing is that they don't use pesticides. I didn't find a single caterpillar/egg but that was okay. I did find that they had a lot more of the 'organic' variety of pesticides as opposed to the more 'bad' chemical stuff. People were looking to find things that would target specific things like powdery mildew and sawflies, leaving the 'good guys' alone. Loads of Ladybugs were on sale as well. Now THIS is what I liked seeing and hearing. Sure, having pesticides and whatnot are going to be a given, right? But, there are ways to help rid your gardens of certain pests (I haven't had to do a thing about fleas because I give my dog a supplement made from simple ingredients and she's had nary a flea on her, much to my groomer's and my delight!). I made my usual 'spider spray' concoction this morning and it is now steeping and fermenting in the backyard. It serves a dual purpose because it also kills and keeps away the ants. :) Yay! Sure, we have to keep things in balance, right? All things in balance...zen, after all...

As a newbie just receiving seeds back from my first ever swap...I am completely overwhelmed and so filled with gratitude at the generosity of you all. Nearly every seed that I had ever dreamed of acquiring arrived in my package, and then some! Tomatoes, beans, cardinal flower, monarda, herbs,cream of sask watermelon, I could go on and on. (because that was one big package of JOY) Going to be a tough act for the man in the red and white suit to follow on the 25th, my morning on the 7th is off the charts!!!! Thank you all so much! Nicky wasn't kidding when she told me to start planning a new garden bed, now I will have to!