How do spell beauty? P-h-l-o-x.
Phlox, not flox. Phlox may be hard to spell, but they sure are pretty, and they are easy to grow.
I remember when I first moved to Charlottesville, I made many trips to Sugar Hollow to engage the trout in the Moorman’s River with assorted flies. I also vividly remember that in early April, lawns all along Garth Road and Sugar Hollow Road were teeming with magnificent lilac and pink flowers that seemingly spilled over and clung to the curbs. They were phlox and they were beauties.
Garden phlox and the creeping varieties are among the easiest perennials to grow. They establish quickly, they tolerate drought and deer won’t touch them. They have a haunting vanilla-clove fragrance and come in an array of colors ranging from pale blue, violet, pink, bright red, or white.
The strange name of phlox derives from the same Greek word which means “flame.” The colors are indeed flaming. Creeping phlox spreads rapidly and makes great ground cover to cover banks, fill spaces under trees. It blooms in spring then provides a lush green carpet throughout the year.
Nancy has established a beautiful phlox bed in a corner of our yard where we always had trouble growing grass. The violet beauty takes your breath away. They are so lovely that sometimes neighbors flock to our phlox.
Sorry about that.