Thanks, Mike, Jeanie.
Interested to read your situation with 'Shockwave', Gary.
Planted four in our garden about six years ago and two have survived to date.
I've found 'Nora Leigh' to be a taller and a much more vigour plant (in our garden) and have only used 'Nora Leigh' elsewhere.
It's unfortunate that 'Shockwave' couldn't be included in the comparative study of garden phlox by the Chicago Botanic Garden.
The biggest advantage of 'Nora Leigh' to me is that the foliage of the plant still looks nice in the gardens here through October.
It's the only one of our 30+ different garden phlox cultivars for whom that is true (therefore the only one I leave standing).
(I deadhead and cut back the garden phlox, after they bloom, in part to beat the establishment of mildew).
Have found 'Nora Leigh' amazingly mildew resistant.
Perhaps our plant hardiness zone is a factor.
We do also have one variegated Phlox paniculata 'Harlequin' which has hardly grown at all in three years.
Below a 'Nora Leigh' in our garden on November 4 last year (very late for fall garden perennials here).
