Santa Rosa Gardens

A bold new look for an old fashioned favorite!  Phlox paniculata Becky Towe offers not only gorgeous flowers, but attractive foliage as well.  It was discovered in 1990 by June Towe in Ludlow, Shropshire, England.  The “Becky” is named after her beloved dog, a black retriever.  The sweet scented flowers appear on panicles above upright stems and are carmine pink with a deep rose center.  Each individual floret is tubular in shape, perfect for hummingbirds and butterflies to collect nectar.  What is most striking about this variety is its variegated foliage.  The inner portions of the leaves are bright green while the outer margins are yellow-gold in color.  As a whole, the plant has a compact bushy appearance.  Use as a single specimen, in a mass, or in containers.

Garden phlox make wonderful cut flowers, lasting up to a week. Be sure to cut stalks when the flowers are newly blooming, nearly half open. Do this in the cool evening, because if they are cut during the day, the flowers will usually drop off. Cut off all foliage that will be below the waterline. Put them in warm water immediately to hold them until they are transferred to a vase. Adding a commercial preservative to the water, will lengthen their fragrant show.