Am getting fed up with looking at snow. Hope Joy and Steve don't mind me adding to this thread with some colour.
I maintain a numbers of different garden phlox cultivars, including most mentioned above. Have convinced myself (at least in my gardens and with my style of perennial gardening, in zone 5b), that with optimal growing conditions, powdery mildew in garden phlox is basically a sign of weakened /stressed plants (viz. those stressed by inadequate air flow, light, watering, etc.). Have (or have had) at least several of all of the cultivars mentioned below, planted in different locations in gardens.
Have grown Blue Paradise and Blue Boy, but they died or lingered, so I got rid of them as lacking vigour. They never got to the stage of requiring division. Find the more purple Nicky long lived; same with Wendy House, though the latter seems less vigorous. Flame Purple is reliable and long-lived. Find the more recently introduction Delilah a particularly vibrant purple. Think the colour of David's Lavender is rather nondescipt. Have had it for years, but feel that it's nowhere near as vigorous and impressive a plant as its parent (white) David.
For Blue successes (so far), have had the short Flame Blue in the garden for several years; also Younique Old Blue. Both have been doing very well. Another acquisition (this one purple) within the last few years is Goldmine Improved, which has variegated leaves. So far, doing well.
Might also mention the long-lived purple-white bi-colour Laura. I've failed to see any difference between recently obtained Laura and Purple Kiss.
I'm suspecting that some of the differences in longevity I've noticed, between cultivars, may be due to the precise locations in which individual plants are planted. Nevertheless, there's no doubt that some cultivars are generally more robust, vigorous and more likely (everything else being equal) to survive than others.
Nicky
Wendy House
Flame Purple
Delilah
David's Lavender
Flame Blue
Younique Old Blue
Goldmine Improved
Laura
