Althoughtulipsandnarcissusare pretty , Phlox divaricatais the one perennial that makes my bounce garden sing . It softly humshometo me . I intend you should grow it too . Here are five reason why :
As I wrote above , I commence with two plant fromWanda’sformer Oklahoma garden about eight years ago . Wanda was good at planting in drifts than I will ever be , but I ’ve made progression since 2008 with myspring ingénues . I spread woodland phlox around most of the garden ’s shady spots . This phlox like dappled shade for most of the year , but it foam in spring sunlight before the deciduous trees leaf out . I would never grow it in full sun , but you’re able to locate it in the tincture of larger shrubs to make shade . It enjoys irrigation , but practiced drainage too . you could also grow it in southern mood in morning sun and good afternoon shade . I move some to the tiered borders last weekend . It pouted for a day , and then rebound back .
So , how did I go from two plant to all of this ? I spread it by seed and transplantation . While the phlox blooms , I dig small transplantation and move them all over the garden . I dig a humble hole , plunk in the transplantation and water . They have quite shallow root , and are n’t particular about soil . They do eff rip up leafage so I surround them with my shredded leaf mulch . I do n’t fertilize them . When they adjust come , the shredded leaves are a pure seminal fluid - starting medium – as they are for so many matter .
When the phlox goes to seed in a few workweek , I cumulate the come and spread them anywhere I desire to see moreP. divaricata . They easily sprout and take root . They are not detectable for the rest of this year , but next natural spring , I ’ll find a few small-scale plants in seeded region .
Repeat the physical process each year , and shortly , you ’ll have a carpet of bloom . They are not thuggish and are easy to draw up where you do n’t want them . I just dig and move them if I want to place something else there . As I say before , the shredded leaf mulch is a great semen starting mass medium so put down a bed of it – if you have some – before distribute seeds .
problem ? Like most phlox , P. divaricatacan get powdery mould , but I ’ve only control it once on the mintage . Voles and mole reportedly eat the roots , but do n’t they eat most things – Narcissus pseudonarcissus excluded ? I have n’t had any hassle from moles or field mouse in the back garden though .
Phlox divaricata with Narcissus ‘Geranium’. I found the name for this daffodil in an older post.
you could findplants from Monticello . Plants are n’t garish , but it ’s a faster manner to start than with germ . you could buyseeds from Prairie Moon Nursery . There are also selections of the waste phlox like ‘ Clouds of Perfume , ’ but the regular phlox is also scented . I would just stick with the species myself .
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This is the earliest I’ve ever seen an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly in my garden. This one was very shy, but kept after the phlox.
Phlox divaricata, woodland phlox with Mexican feather grass planted in a shallow border. I lined the border with Nassella tenuissima because it softens the concrete edging.
Phlox divaricata, woodland phlox in my back garden in late March.
Another view of the back garden with spring bulbs and Phlox divaricata.
