Evening star., 1940-08-24

LUliiuclo NllIllll llS lOlUS nOSG OF
troubled with mildew and rust tc
such an extent that many of them
seldom last more than a year or
two in our gardens unless carefully
tended and sprayed.
A short distance to the north of
here. and similarly to the south,
gardeners are seldom troubled to
such an extent with these diseases.
Perhaps If we prepared our beds with
care and made certain that they
were not extremely acid and that
the plants were so set as to allow
ample air circulation, then We might
expect better results from all
varieties. Watering in the evening
Is conducive to the spread of disease.
Soils that are heavy or waterlogged
are distinctly unfavorable to phlox
culture. Protection from the mid
day sun seems to benefit the sum-
mer-fowering varieties. Spring.
Towering kinds in most cases. how
ever. prefer full sun on the top of
a we'll drained bank or in the rock
garden.
: Well-Drained Beds
Essential.
In well-drained beds where gen.
erous quantities of well-rotted ma
nure and sand have been incorpor-
ated the summer-f1owering varieties
OF phloX seem to thrive. When we'll
fed and kept growing vigorously like
most other garden plants. they seem
to be less susceptible to disease.
Thus one of the first essentials to
success with these snowy summer
flowers Is to prepare the planting
spaces carefully. Keep the soil loose
end friable and supply water as
needed. Dividing and reworking the
soil at least every year is recon-
mended. At the first sign of disease
dust with sulphur or spray with
bordeaux. Sulphur is to be pre-
terred as 1t is an effective control
Tor the red spider, the most serious
pest Of the summer Towering va
1ieties. Some gardeners collect and
burn the dead leaves throughout the
growing season. To prevent diseases
from living over winter remove and
burn the old flower stalks and TO-
iiaee in the fall.
Mention was made above of the
moss pink or P subulata. This hardy
iow-growing early-fowering species
IS widely planted in rock gardens
Snd rock walls. There are many
improved varieties that are superior
to the old magenta colored species.
This species should be planted in
full sun IN very well-drained SOIL
If necessary, add sand to improve
the drainage. Do not prepare a rich
coil. Shear the plants after the
Towering season to keep them COM
pact and vigorous. Propagation is
by cuttings, although one may shake
light soil into the plant in early
summer covering some of the creep
ing stems and they will take root.
A close relative of P. Subulata is P.
nivalis which blooms about two
weeks later and serves to prolong
the Towering season. While it is
somewhat more difficult to handle
than the moss pink, it has many
characteristics that make the extra
effort worth while. 1t has a rather
narrow color range (Which incl
dentally does not include a trace of
magenta), and patterns. The plants
tend to be bit straggly and should
be sheared back at least half each
season Plant in sandy loan with
acid reaction and do not fertilize.
Lift and divide each year.
Shade Lover Thrives
In This Area.
The dwarf woods phlox, blue
woods phlox, or wild sweet will
liam, as it is somewhat called (P
divaricata canadense), is a shade
lover that thrives in this area. 1t is
colorful and free Towering. 1t
should be more widely used in our
shady gardens. Gardeners, how
ever, often report that it dies out
for them, when, in most cases, this
is due to their mistaking the ma
turing plants for weeds and pulling
them out. BY carefully marking the
location of the clumps this difficulty
may be avoided. The improved
variety Laphamii is better shade
of blue than the wild species, and
there is also white form.
Phlox stolonifera Teptans) can
be used on the more sandy soils for
naturalizing in shady places. 1t is
q spreading ground cover and has
purple or violet flowers in the
spring If happily situated it makes
q very strong growth.
Phlox suffruticosa is taller grow
ing species that is best known as
the parent of Miss Lingard, the
best of the y-flowering hardy
garden phlox. There are other
varieties having some of the splen-
did characteristics of Miss Lingard
freedom from disease and early
summer f1owering-that have SIM
liar parentage, such as Miss Ver-
boom, DR.. Hornby, etc. For this
area they are to be preferred to
the varieties P paniculata parent
age. The freedom from disease is,
of course, the most noteworthy
difference.
Phlox paniculata is, according to
most writer's, the most noteworthy
species since it is the parent OF lit
orally hundreds of named varieties
of the popularly termed hardy
garden phlox." These snowy sum-
mer- r-foWering perennials are worthy
of all the effort they take to grow.
Available in numerous shades and
patterns they make the garden a
N.x+ Veor'S TOmatoeS