I wish you could smell this!

While I was pulling some plants for customers I walked by these beauties and had to share:





For those of you who aren't familiar, these are Phlox. Not just any phlox, but Woodland Phlox, latin name, Phlox divaricata. They are some of the most fragrant early spring perennials out there. And let me tell you, they are WORTH IT!!

Phlox divaricata forms clumps 12" tall and as you can see from the photos, is covered with delicate 1.5" flowers. Phlox divaricata is a favorite in the wild garden due to its attractive flowers in early spring that require little or no maintenance. Woodland Phlox also sometimes called (Wild Sweet William) is spectacular as a mass in an open woodland, perfect for the border of a shade garden, or naturalized in sweeps at the base of large trees. Phlox divaricata prefers moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil and high open shade and accepts sunny conditions with moisture but will go dormant in drought conditions.

Wild Phlox divaricata Woodland Phlox can be used as an showy ground cover that will naturalize and has attractive fragrant flowers attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

I couldn't pass them up, so I threw two in my own cart, the purple one "Blue Elf" and the white one "May Breeze", when I get home they'll get added to the garden right off our patio next to our pond so we can smell them when we're out there in the evenings.

Have you planted any phlox in your gardens? Are there any other early spring perennials you can't live without??

*Amy