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Choosing specialist phlox

The best starting point for choosing these phlox is working out whether you have the right growing conditions; or can adapt what you have to provide them (including growing in containers).

• The majority of these phlox (including Phlox douglasii and Phlox caespitosa) are suited to alpine troughs and rockeries in sunny, free-draining sites. Mostly evergreen and often scented, they have cushion-like, creeping or trailing habits.
• If your site is shaded and moist, choose from another group that are sometimes referred to as ‘woodland phlox’. These too are diminutive plants of around around 7.5-30cm (3in-1ft) tall. They are usually evergreen and often have a creeping in habit, including P. divaricata and P. stolonifera.

Buying specialist phlox

Buy plants from garden centres or mail-order specialist alpine nurseries in spring. Some are available as smaller plug plants

Seedlings or young plants grown singly in small modules, with the advantage that they can be transplanted with minimal root disturbance. Bedding plants and young veg plants are often sold as plug plants of various sizes, with smaller ones requiring more aftercare. They usually need to be potted up and grown on indoors until large enough to plant outside.

in spring. Try our Find a Plant search to begin with.

For more information: .

Planting sun lovers: specialist phlox for rock gardens, alpine banks and troughs

Spring is the best time to plant in a sunny, free draining site.

Choose a potting compost

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost:

• Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

that is very free draining. You can make your own from equal parts (a ratio of 1:1:1) of loam, horticultural grit, and leafmould.

A top dressing of about 1cm (½in) grit around the base of the plants will set them off decoratively in troughs and rock gardens.

The spacing of plants is dependent on size and habit – they may be mound forming, creeping or trailing – so check the plant's spread on the label position so that the plants won't grow into each other.

Planting shade lovers: specialist phlox for light shade and moisture retentive sites

Spring is the best time to plant in a moist but well-drained soil. Choose a position in dappled shade and space according to spread of the plants, usually 20-30cm (8in-1ft).

Several of these phlox need acidic conditions, so if you don't have acidic soil, they can be grown in containers with peat-free ericaceous

Plants that thrive in acid or ericaceous soil, which has a pH of less than 7 (neutral). You can measure your soil pH using a simple testing kit. Ericaceous or acid-loving plants include rhododendrons, camellias, heathers and blueberries.

compost with added horticultural grit.

Routine care for sun loving specialist phlox

A dressing of about 1cm (½in) of horticultural grit over the surface of the soil with show off plants well and help improve drainage around the base of the stems. This may need topping up annually or weeding as they appear from spring to autumn. Remove fallen leaves and debris from in and around the plants in autumn and winter to prevent them being smoothered.

Routine care for shade-loving phlox

A 1cm (½in) of composted bark

Bark is the outermost layer of woody plants (trees, shrubs and woody climbers). It is several cells thick and provides protection against physical damage, disease and environmental stresses. Bark comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns, and these can help gardeners when identifying plants. The fissures and crevices of bark on older plants also creates valuable habitat for many garden creatures as well as lichens and small plants.

mulch

Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings.

will make sure soil doesn’t dry out in hot weather. Remove fallen leaves and debris from in and around the plants in autumn and winter to prevent them being smoothered.

Plants benefit from a trim over after flowering to keep them compact. Otherwise, no other pruning is required.

Make more plants of these phlox species and cultivars by taking cuttings

A method of growing new plants from parts of an existing plant, such as sections of root, stem, leaf or bud. When prepared correctly and planted in the right conditions, they can produce roots and eventually become independent plants. There is a wide range of different methods for taking cuttings, depending on the plant and time of year.

from non-flowering shoots in early spring (basal stem cuttings) and late spring (softwood stem-tip cuttings). Softwood stem-tip cuttings work best for clump forming plants.

Species can also be grown from seed in spring or autumn and should flower in their second year.

You may need to look out for rotting stems and leaves in winter, particularly if the soil conditions are not free-draining enough for sun lovers. Look out for puddles of rainwater on the soil surface or browning, dead patches on plants. Conversely check and water plants that like moist conditions so they do not suffer in dry spells.