Phlox 'Fashionably Early Flamingo'

Phlox 'Fashionably Early Flamingo': Flamingo Pink, Early to the Party

Light lavender-pink clusters with a purple eye, the closest thing to a flamingo you can plant without the neighbours questioning your taste. 'Fashionably Early Flamingo' IS PLASTIC-FREE AND PROUD.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Phlox hybrid (P. maculata 'Alpha' x P. 'Amethyst Pearl')
• Common Name: Garden Phlox
• Height: 75–90 cm (30–36 in)
• Spread: About 80 cm (31 in)
• Flowers: Light lavender-pink with a light purple eye, fading to pale lavender as they age. Produced in generous clusters.
• Bloom Time: Early summer to late summer (June to August), with repeat bloom if deadheaded
• Foliage: Leathery green leaves, highly resistant to powdery mildew
• Features: Early blooming, mildew resistant, good for cutting

Where to Plant: Give it a spot in the middle of a sunny border, where its early colour fills the lull after the spring bloomers. Plant a group of three for a real drift of colour, and cut a few stems for a vase.

Companion Plants: Give 'Fashionably Early Flamingo' a sunny or part-shade bed with a blue carpet, an Itoh peony and rosy daylilies. Veronica 'Georgia Blue' carpets the front at 10 to 15 cm with deep blue flowers in April and May. Paeonia 'Cora Louise' opens white and lavender Itoh peonies at 60 to 70 cm in June and July. Hemerocallis Happy Ever Appster™ 'Rosy Returns' adds rose-pink daylilies at 36 to 40 cm from June to September. Panicum 'Blood Brothers' stands behind at 120 to 150 cm with red-tipped blades.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun, in fertile, well-drained soil that holds some moisture. Full sun gives the most flowers and the strongest stems. Water deeply during dry spells and try to keep the leaves dry. Snip off the first round of faded clusters to push out more blooms. Cut the stems to the ground in late fall or early spring. Divide every three to four years in spring to keep the clump vigorous. Garden phlox is a deer favourite, so use a repellent or fencing where deer roam.

History: 'Fashionably Early Flamingo' was bred by Hans Hansen at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, from a 2012 cross between Phlox maculata 'Alpha' and Phlox 'Amethyst Pearl'. That cross produced the whole Fashionably Early group, bred to bloom early and resist mildew.

Final Thoughts: It blooms early, resists mildew and keeps going if you deadhead. Stand it on one leg if you must. BEST BIRD IN THE BORDER.