Does anyone here grow Blue Boy? I've had it for 5 years now, and it hasn't bloomed since the first year. I have a lot of tall garden phlox, and every one of them blooms well ever year, except this one. I'm wondering if anyone else is having the same problem with it. I'm ready to toss it in the compost pile. I divided it last year and gave a bunch away, and it didn't bloom for anyone that I gave it to.

I found this thread. Looks like Blue Boy might have a blooming problem for many.

On to another phlox, me thinks:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/f...

Polly, thanks so much for that information! Mine are in full sun, about 8 hours or more a day, and I get nothing! I even moved them to four or five different spots in the yard, and still nothing. I was thinking that maybe they just didn't like me! It was so pretty when it was blooming, and I'm so disappointed by it.

Natalie, there's so many new phlox, it seems there is a boom in phlox production. I would try one of the newer ones. They are more mildew resistant, also.

Here's a nice website for phlox, and they have good rating at Garden Watchdog. I'm thinking about getting that really tall one.

http://perennialpleasures.net/...

Thanks Polly! I'm almost afraid to look! The only room I have, or will have, is where the Blue Boy is living now. I also have to squeeze in the four iris that I bought tonight. I swore I wouldn't buy any more iris, but I had a moment of insanity! The iris in your photo is gorgeous!

Thanks again for your help! I really appreciate it!

On no Polly, you shouldn't have posted that link. Lots of beauties there.

Well, I looked! I shouldn't have! So many beautiful ones that I've never seen before! I had no idea that they could get that tall! It going to be so much easier tossing blue boy in the compost pile now!

I have been gardening here 5 years.This is the first year I just yanked a plant and had no qualms about it.
I kept blaming myself because it wasnt doing well.
A couple of posts on ATP and I realized the plant was never going to be great.
Now i dont hesitate.

Thanks Jo Ann. I've been here 10 years, and still haven't yanked a plant. Today will be the first!

Polly, thanks again for that link. Besides the pretty plants, there is also some really good information on it! Especially for people like me who have lots of phlox, but don't really know much about them. I've never had mildew, or any other problems with mine, except for the occasional flopping. I moved all of mine to a new bed last year, and no more flop. I had to make room for more daylilies, and the new bed I put the phlox in seems to be exactly what they wanted. However, I just didn't realize it until I read some of the info on that site!

You're welcome, Natalie. have fun yanking.

Chris, they are hardy in Z4..........And bloom at the time of year when not much else is blooming.

Yanking them was so much fun! I had no idea that I'd actually enjoy it! While I was at it, I yanked up a couple more things that I didn't like! I can't believe how much freedom I feel like I have now!

I have 4 different kinds of tall phlox now and I love them all. Unfortunately they're all NOIDS, but they're pretty anyway. I've started putting my wish list together from Perennial Pleasure Nursery.

Go Girl.

I've got between 8 and 10 different tall phlox, all of which are named, but I'm not sure that the tag has followed all of them when they were moved. I was pleasantly surprised by how easily they came back from pieces of missed roots. If it had been a different plant, I may have been annoyed by that, but it's great getting extra phlox so easily!

Natalie said:Yanking them was so much fun! I had no idea that I'd actually enjoy it! While I was at it, I yanked up a couple more things that I didn't like! I can't believe how much freedom I feel like I have now!

Go for it Natalie! I love to rip out things that are not performing well, my yard is rather small and I do not feel guilty about tossing things that are not up to my standards.

I am looking around for a nice short phlox for next year, how tall is Blue Boy? Jo Ann had some of the short kind, I might like that.

None of my short phlox were blue but that doesnt mean they are'nt out there.
Even Mystic Black blooms lavender.

The nice thing about yanking up plants that don't perform well is getting to buy new ones to take their place!

Out with the old and in with the new!!

Out with the nonblooming and in with the new! My kid thinks I grew up with cavemen for neighbors!