CHAPTER XXV 

 Dwarf Phloxes 



THE Phloxes form an important group of garden 

 plants ; their value in both the flower border and 

 rockery can scarcely be over-estimated. The dwarf -growing 

 sorts form spreading masses of evergreen foliage, and in 

 May become smothered in blossom, giving showy colour 

 groups in the rock garden. It is safe to say that during 

 their season they are not surpassed for sheer profusion 

 of bloom by any other of the rockery flowers. The dwarf 

 Phloxes are not alpine flowers, but they are, nevertheless, 

 most admirably suited for associating with them. They 

 grow wild on the hills of Virginia and other States of 

 North America, and belong to the natural order Pole- 

 moniaceae (which contains also the well-known Jacob's 

 Ladder, Polemonium). Although hardy in well-drained 

 soil, some of them are liable to suffer during winter in 

 cold and heavy ground. They never look better than 

 when grouped on some rock-garden slope, down which 

 they may spread, and where there is little likelihood of 

 the presence of stagnant water in winter. They are 

 best suited by a loamy soil, with which some leaf-mould 

 and sand are intermixed in the proportion of about 



one-third of the whole bulk. It is all important that 



151 



