I haven’t grown annual garden phlox for many years. Some of the cultivars really didn’t do well in heat and humidity, so the plants looked tired by mid-July. But I’m giving them a whirl again because I needed to break up the endless monotony of zinnias and marigolds in my annual beds.
I sprouted Phlox 21st Century from seed in March and put the plants in my flowerbeds during the last week of May. The plants bloom in a mixture of colors—red, pink, salmon, purple and white.
Thankfully my husband surrounded all my annual beds with chicken wire this year because the bunny population was so bad last summer. Those plants are doing well. But I had some extras that I planted in front of my tomato plants in an open area, and they didn’t even last a night before they were mowed down by Thumper and Peter Rabbit. I had some replacements and put them in the other day. I sprayed them with Liquid Fence and so far the bunnies have taken a pass.
Phlox 21st Century grows 10 inches tall. We’re in the midst of a hot and humid spell now, so we’ll see if this beastly weather shortens their blooming season or if they will still be going strong in a month.