
“Like a kid in a candy store”. Sometimes we gardeners think of ourselves in this way when we’re at the garden center. With the four excellent color choices in the Candy Store® series of phlox you can bring the whole Candy Store home with you!
This series has three advantages over many older varieties of Summer Phlox:
- Exceptional resistance to powdery mildew, a disease that plagues many older varieties
- Shorter, more compact stature makes them suited for use in smaller scale gardens
- Continuous bloom from mid-summer through autumn, if deadheaded
Other assets include intensely fragrant flowers that are great for cutting, extreme winter hardiness (Zone 3), and long lived, reliable garden performance.

First Editions® Coral Crème Drop™ Phlox

First Editions® Bubblegum Pink™ Phlox
The series includes:
First Editions® Grape Lollipop™ – Grape-colored blooms with white pinwheel center and red eye
First Editions® Coral Crème Drop™ – Coral blooms with paler center and rosy eye
First Editions® Cotton Candy™ – Softest lavender-pink/near white flowers with cotton candy centers
First Editions® Bubblegum Pink™ – Bright bubblegum pink blossoms accentuated by dark pink eye
First Editions® Candy Store® Phlox in a nutshell:
- Mature height: 18”-24”.
- Mature spread: 18”-24”
- Growth form: Upright habit. Forms a dense, compact clump.
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
- Flowers: Abundant clusters of highly fragrant flowers in shades of palest pink through purple. Blooms heavily from July through September. Deadhead for prolonged bloom. Harvest flowers for bouquets throughout the summer!
- Foliage Color: New growth has red tips, aging to green. Selected for excellent resistance to Powdery Mildew
- Light requirement: Full Sun to Light Shade
- Water Requirements: Medium, well-drained soils.
- Growth Rate: Fast
- Maintenance: Harvest flowers to encourage continuous bloom. The only downside of these plants is that deer and rabbit love them, so application of animal repellent may be necessary.
- Especially valuable for:
- Resistance to Powdery Mildew
- Fragrance
- Exceptionally long bloom period
- Excellent cut flower
- Cottage gardens, mixed borders & cutting gardens
- Compact habit makes them suitable for smaller scale garden

First Editions® Cotton Candy™ Phlox

First Editions® Grape Lollipop™ Phlox
By Zannah Crowe
Images courtesy of Bailey Nurseries – www.baileynurseries.com