Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) is a wonderful old fashioned perennial flower that grows about two to three feet tall and is covered with tiny pink, white or pale purple flowers from late July until mid- September.

They are a native American wildflower that have been bred and tamed for use in mixed borders and cottage gardens.

Their big problem is they are very susceptible to powdery mildew, a nasty fungus that discolors and eventually disfigures the leaves and stems of garden phlox no matter how hot and dry it is.

The ultimate solution for this problem is to grow mildew resistant varieties of phlox. A few cultivars which have show good resistance include 'David,' a white variety, 'Eva Cullum,' which is pink and 'Franz Shubert' a lavender phlox.

For the phlox you already have you can reduce the mildew by transplanting your phlox to an area that gets more sun, (phlox will tolerate quite a bit of shade) and thin out your clumps to give your plants a little more air circulation.

Finally, if you are very involved you can spray your plants with a simple sulfur-based garden fungicide such as Safer's Fungicide beginning in May.

Garden phlox are the backbone of any well-planned cottage garden or mixed perennial bed. They bloom all summer and make great bouquets. But there are some other phlox you might want to add that are equally as pretty.

Phlox subulata, better known as moss phlox or moss pinks, is already well-known to a lot of gardeners around here. It is the pink, white and lilac colored phlox that grows like a ground cover over embankments and hillsides in full sun and part shade in early spring.

Phlox divaricata is better known as wild sweet William and blooms in May and June with unmistakable pale blue or lavender flowers. It seems to prefer its wild habitat and is not known as a garden plant.

Phlox maculata, better known as spotted phlox, is similar to tall garden phlox except it has dark spots on the leaves. It, too is very disease resistant. Look for 'Alpha' and Rosalind.'

Phlox stolonifera, or creeping phlox, is a lovely woodland phlox that thrives in moist, shady spots and blooms in early spring. My small patch has spread consistently over the years and is always a welcome site. It grows only about six to eight inches tall and is used primarily as a ground cover in my garden.

You should be able to find most of these varieties of phlox next spring in one of your quality garden centers or in a reasonably good catalogue. You may even be able to find a couple plants in a garden center this fall.

Phlox are easy to grow in a soil mixed with good compost and lightly watered. they don't need a lot of fertilizer or care. Give them a try next spring or get a start from a neighbor this fall.