Phloxes are deservedly recognized as the most common flowers on personal plots. Bright multi-colored plants are easy to grow even for a novice gardener. They are unpretentious and tolerate frosty winters well. It blooms for a long time and fills the garden with a pleasant sweetish smell. Bred in the middle of the 18th century, these plants got their name for the bright flowers that flash above the dense greenery. All about phlox is described below.
How garden phlox blooms: description, types
Phlox flowers have more than 80 varieties. There are perennial and annual plants. Caring for them is quite simple, but there are nuances and features. Phlox flower loves moisture and frequent watering, but does not withstand stagnant groundwater near its root system. Also, the marshland is not suitable for cultivation. Prefer sunny places. With a slightly shaded flowerbed, flowering will not be as plentiful as on the sunny side, but longer.
Phlox inflorescence
Planted with open roots in early spring or autumn. Flowers with a closed root system can be planted throughout the season. You can not place a flower bed with these flowers next to trees or shrubs. The root system of a stronger plant will easily destroy the flowers. It should also be remembered when weeding that the root system can easily be damaged by weed roots.
Perennial varieties of phlox can be propagated using:
- stem cuttings;
- root cuttings;
- using seeds;
- dividing the bush;
- germination of buds or shoots.
Important! Features of the variety are transferred to new plants with all methods of reproduction, except for sowing seeds.
Most varieties are perennial plants, bushy, creeping or semi-bushy, turfy. Shrub are divided into tall and stunted. The following types are most common and easy to care for:
- subulate
- ground cover
- Canadian
Awl-shaped variety
A flower brought to Europe and to Russia from America. It is called subulate due to peaked leaves. Creeping plant with bright or pale flowers and a delicate aroma. The height does not exceed 25 cm, and in width can grow up to 150 cm.
Awl-shaped variety
What look phlox awl-shaped: branches have a flat, five-pointed shape. In diameter, depending on the variety, are from 150 to 250 mm. Awl-shaped varieties bloom up to a month in early summer.
Important! Under warm weather conditions in the first weeks of autumn, repeated flowering may occur. However, it will not be as plentiful and long as the first time.
Due to its root system and structure, it can grow with soil only 5 cm. This feature allows flowers to comfortably settle even in rocky terrain. These flowers soften and decorate the stone design of the garden or cottage.
Awl-shaped flowers can grow in one place for more than 5 years and quickly take up all the space provided.
Ground cover varieties - flower garden decoration
This is the name of all types of creeping phloxes and some types of loose-hearted. The name says it - these flowers cover the entire allocated space with a bright, fluffy and fragrant carpet. At the peak of flowering, only a colored cloud is visible, small leaves are hidden under the blossoming buds.
Non-aggressive and unpretentious plants, with small needle-like leaves, take root well on dry and non-nutritious types of soils.
They are easily related to close proximity to other plants and flowers, but they look best on their own. Ideal for creating all kinds of design solutions for the garden: flower beds, rock gardens, lawns, flowerpots.
Canadian grade
Phlox canadian, or splayed - perennial plant. Grassy, tall: reaches 40-50 cm. Leaflets are sharp-oblong, up to 5 cm long. Flowers are flat, in the shape of an asterisk, the color scheme is mainly blue: from white and pale blue to bright blue and bright purple.
The peak of flowering occurs at the end of spring - the beginning of summer. Duration - 4-5 weeks. Unpretentious, they take root on dry and slightly acidic soils. They grow easily in sunny and shaded places.
For reference! To give the flower garden a continuous coating shape, it is necessary to plant Canadian varieties at a distance of 25-35 cm from each other.
After flowering is completed, the plant must be cut to prepare for the next season.
Other types
Thanks to the work of world breeders, at the beginning of 2019, more than 1.5 thousand different varieties were bred. Of these, only one species is the Drummond variety - an annual. The remaining varieties are divided according to the variety of shades, plant height, inflorescences, leaves, root system.
Drummond Grade
There are flowers that look like a bouquet - up to 50 buds are located on one stalk. There are varieties in which each inflorescence is on a separate shoot. If you combine varieties, you can organize a full flower garden, which will not need additional types of flowers.
Choice of flowering color
Phlox perennial undersized varieties, as well as other varieties, are divided into main types:
- phlox is white;
- early blue phlox;
- yellow phlox;
- phlox pink;
- phlox red;
- spotted phlox;
- raspberry phlox;
- phlox is purple.
Varietal plants can change color, only with further propagation by seeds. Sometimes on the petals of one color, closer to the center, a crumb of a different shade appears. Such a flower is called mealy or spotted.
Large-flowered and small-flowered species are often planted nearby, while observing either the flowering order or a certain design idea. When composing a landscape composition, it is necessary to fully collect information about each planted variety. Also be sure of its color, as this affects the result.
Unpretentious, they easily get along with other flowers, but not with a bush or tree. When drawing up a flower composition, it should be borne in mind that plants grow every year.
For reference! To preserve the shape of the flowerbed for several years, you need to trim and give direction to the flower shoots in a timely manner.
What do phlox leaves look like?
Leaves vary by variety.
- Paniculate have a large number of broad, lush leaves.
- Subulate - narrow, long, slightly folded leaves. Moreover, depending on the variety, on the stem can be located as 2-3 leaves, and up to 45 pieces.
- Canadian, widespread, has lush curly leaves, with pointed edges.
Which grade is better for a beginner
Phlox - unpretentious plants and capable of sprouting on any soil. Even an inexperienced gardener can easily grow any variety. Of course, field phlox is not suitable for giving, but plants bought in a special store can please the eye for several years.
Phlox tall
You can also take material for planting from friends or neighbors.
For reference! In this case, there is a risk of degeneration or pollination of the variety.
Beginner florist today has a large selection. Plants can be selected, focusing on your taste or making up a certain floral ornament. Care, watering and top dressing for these flowers does not cause much difficulty.
Phlox-like flowers
In nature, there are flowers that are visually similar to phlox. They are related by a straight stem with inflorescences in the form of a ball or head. Perennial armeria, unlike phlox, has straight and smooth stems. The flowering time is also much longer - from late spring to mid-autumn.
Hydrangea is a flower with spherical inflorescences. This is a plant with long flowering and, depending on the type of soil, is able to change color. Suitable for indoor cultivation.
The groundcover plant alissum, with its inflorescences, is similar to the flowers of a stunted phlox. Its characteristic colors are dull, from white to pale pink.
"Fire flower" in landscape design
When decorating a personal plot, it all depends on the imagination of the designer. Phloxes are ideal for framing a miniature pond, arbors, paths, rock gardens. You can also divide the site into zones or let the plant tighten some territory. You can create a pyramidal or striped flower garden.
Phlox Composition
In any case, these flowers will advantageously decorate the cottage or garden, if necessary, cover a rocky area of the garden.
Next to which flowers on the site you can plant phlox
Phlox perfectly adjacent to any grassy perennials. A good solution would be to plant flowers on one bed that bloom in a different time period. Such partners will be alpine aster, bells, geranium or edelweiss.
In order to add color to the homestead, any kind of phlox is ideal. It is easy to make an ideal and unique composition, it is enough to study what types of phloxes are and where they can be planted. Phlox is the most enduring flower and a real decoration of the garden.
