Blue Paradise, it sounds perfect doesn't it? We would all like a little bit of paradise right now! Phlox was very popular around the turn of the century but from the 1940's to the 1980's it fell out of favor for being too old fashioned. Many of the cultivars were lost and nurseries and breeders have been trying ever since to bring back even better phlox varieties.
In 1990 Piet Oudolf introduced Blue Paradise Phlox, a native plant from the New England area, thrives in zones 4-8, up to four feet tall and mildew resistant. It is a striking blue color and has a wonderful fragrance. I have several locations of Blue Paradise Phlox, mostly peeking out or through other plantings, such as my Knockout Roses and Becky Shasta Daisies. Blue Paradise blooms non-stop from June through October. The more you deadhead, the more it blooms, more prolifically than any other phlox in my garden. including David.
It is a preferred plant at Millennium Park in Downtown Chicago and it is certainly a preferred plant in my garden!
