Garden Phlox 
By W. C. EGAN 
F ew there are, indeed, who do not know and 
admire the many forms of the garden and 
wood phlox. Eor over one hundred and 
eighty years this flower, as represented by some ot its 
varieties, has been known, and admired, still it has 
seldom, if ever, received the poet’s praise. Its very 
brightness suggested its generic name as phlox, a 
Greek word signifying flame. 
Most flowers, as popular as this, receive many 
common names, some of which, in time, supplant the 
generic one, as instanced by the common bedding 
geranium which is not a 
geranium hut a pelargo¬ 
nium, but the phlox has sel¬ 
dom been s o h o noted. 
“Moss pink” for the creep¬ 
ing Phlox siihulata, “ Pride 
of Columbia,” for a tall 
Northern California species 
and “Sweet William” for 
Phlox ovafa^nd Phlox pilosa 
embraces them all. 
Phi 0 X D riiniinond i, a 
lexas annual, which was 
not known until 1835, is the 
parent of the many varieties 
of annual phlox now grown. 
It is an admirable cut 
flower, easily grown, hut 
if w" an ted for a continuous 
supply of cut flowers, sev¬ 
eral sowings should he 
made, one under glass in 
March, and two out-of- 
doors; the first as soon as 
the frost is out of the ground 
and the second not later 
than May. Plant or thin to a 
foot apart and mildew is 
less liable. Plenty of water during dry seasons 
prolongs the blooming period. 
If planted in masses for effect, do not sow until 
towards the last of May. It is much better to go the 
early part of the season w ithout bloom, but have a 
growing green mass of a promising future, and then, 
in midsummer, and late into the fall, enjoy their 
flowers, than to have early flow^ers and a ragged out- 
bloomed bed before the season ends. 
When we come to the dwarf perennial forms, 
especially the moss pink. Phlox suhulata, we reach 
one of the showiest and most cheerful of our spring 
blooming plants. 
We have had the yellows and purples in the crocus. 
and the blues in the chionodoxa, Mertensia, and the 
forget-me-nots, and are ready for a change. The 
unfolding blossom buds of the apple trees and a few 
of the formal hyacinths have suggested a pink, but it 
remains for the Phlox suhulata to present this color 
in vivid masses. Out of a dense mossy green, rise 
innumerable short stems, each carrying a dainty, flat, 
spreading flower, of a delicate pink, emphasized by 
a darker eye in some varieties, and lighter in others. 
They literally hide the foliage. There are six or 
more colors to be obtained of the seedsman, including 
white, purplish rose, light 
lilac and rosea, a bright 
rose. 
This phlox is easily 
growm, even in cold climates 
if planted where the drain¬ 
age is perfect in w inter. A 
sloping bank in full sun¬ 
shine is an ideal situation. 
The winters often brown 
the foliage if not protected 
from the sun. The best 
way to protect it is to obtain 
short branches of evergreen 
boughs and insert the ends 
in the soil between the 
plants, placing them in a 
slanting position. Bran¬ 
ches of the oak, cut early in 
the fall and stored until 
wanted are also good, as 
when so cut they retain their 
foliage all winter. In the 
absence of these use bushy 
perennial tops, such as 
the pompon chrysanthe¬ 
mums. Place these in posi¬ 
tion before frost. In the 
spring, remove every other one letting the balance 
remain a week. This gradually accustoms them to 
the light. 
When done blooming they present a pleasing mass 
of green and towards fall bloom again hut much less 
freely. If you desire to increase your stock, or your 
bed has got some troublesome weed in it, hard to 
eradicate, take them up, clean them of weeds, and tear 
them up into small pieces, saving those that have 
some roots attached. Do this right after blooming. 
Prepare your bed, having the soil light and rich. 
For mass effect plant in row^s one foot apart. Make 
a V-shaped furrow, six or more inches wide at the 
top. In it set your plants quite deeply, just so that 
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