Thursday, March 26, 2009

Blooming Friday -- Woodland Phlox


Our woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata) has started blooming, the lovely spiral-striped buds opening up to blue flowers with a wonderful sweet fragrance.



This low-growing native has evergreen foliage that does most of its growing in early spring. It seeds in somewhat but is not aggressive. In fact I very much appreciate the fact that it produces seedlings that I can spread around the garden. This particular phlox is a cultivar is called 'Clouds of Perfume' and it lives up to its name! I don't know if it's actually more fragrant than the typical species, but it is very fragrant. I love the grace and delicacy of the flowers.



Thanks to Katarina at roses and stuff for hosting Blooming Friday.

20 comments:

  1. My phlox are not blooming yet, but the ones I moved from a tub to the east side of the house are growing.

    I couldn't get on blotanical a little bit ago. I wonder if it's having problems.

    Nice pics!

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  2. This is such an attractive plant. I grow Phlox divaricata 'clouds of Perfume' in a shady area, and it is covered in blooms in May. I'm glad that mine is slowly spreading out. I use to have it in a heavily shaded area, where it produced leaves, but no blooms. Three years ago, I moved it to an area that gets about an hour of sun a day, and it blooms very well. This plant is a real attention grabber when in flower.

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  3. This phlox looks gorgeous! The lavendar shade is delicious. How lovely to have such a beautiful early bloomer.
    Enjoy your weekend!
    Katarina

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  4. Thank you for those wonderful summer bloom pictures sweetbay!

    Tyra

    TYRA'S GARDEN

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  5. What a beautiful colour. Do you have summer already?

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  6. Hi sweetbay, thank you so much for your comment on Billy. He is my third Jack and completely different from the others I had. He is very strong minded!
    The pictures of the flowers are very appealing; the tight buds and than the open flowers are very pleasing. A very beautiful blue. when I read your gardening techniques I can completely rely to them as I have the same. I would like to see more of your garden so I put a link if you agree.

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  7. these are lovely! so cool to the eyes and very romantic with its scent and graceful appearance...

    have a wonderful weekend!

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  8. Mine is looking pretty good too. Can't wait until it blooms in the woodland garden-it will be the first time. Your 'clouds' are looking good.

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  9. It will be a long time before mine blooms. This is one of my favorites.
    Marnie

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  10. Sweetbay,

    Lovely phlox, one of my favorite plants. I don't know if you have been to Bog Bloomers in Sanford, but they sell like 30-40 different phloxes along with all the other goodies.

    OH, I found a photo I took a long time ago of Sweetbay in flower.

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  11. Oh, absolutely gorgeous blues! The woodland phlox is a stunner, so elegant!

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  12. So lovely!!
    /Vella

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  13. This phlox is so nice, but it's new to me. I am designing a Woodland and I will for sure consider this plant. Do you think it is hardy in the south of Sweden?

    Have a nice weekend
    Helen

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  14. Thank you everyone for your comments.

    Lillibeth, spring is starting here. Sometimes summer is fast on the heels of spring here (temps in the high 80's and low 90's F are not uncommon), but if we're lucky we get a long spring like we had last year.

    Titania Molly was very strong minded too! lol Very sweet, but she had that stubborn terrier streak in spades. Yes, please add a link if you would like.

    Tina, we really did have "clouds" at the old house site. The fragrance would blow into the kitchen window -- heavenly! I'm still working on that in the gardens around the house at our new site.

    Randy, I think I'm the only NC gardener I know who hasn't been to Big Bloomers. Next time we go to Southern Pines we need to stop by there.

    HelenJ, Phlox divaricata is very cold hardy -- to negative 30 F, so it should be fine in southern Sweden without a doubt.

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  15. Very tempting photos, as usual. Have a nice weekend!

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  16. I too have this plant and love it.I divided it last year and moved it around but it hasn't seeded itself yet.It will be a couple of months before it blooms here though.
    Pretty photos!
    Carolyn

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  17. Hi Sweetbay, It's a beautiful little flower. I love the sweet blue color...The species phlox divaricata is blooming in my garden, too...with rue anemone and purple hyacinths. I've also May Breeze which is a light blueish colored flower. I hope the weekend is filled with gardening! gail

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  18. Gail I got May Breeze in a trade and hope I didn't look it in the drought -- it looked wonderful with the blue Phlox.

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  19. Really pretty flowers and a lovely color, too.
    Meems @ Hoe and Shovel

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  20. So I'm going to find some Woodland Phlox!

    I've the perfect spot for it and I love it.

    Thanks for introducing me to this.

    Rob

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