Ornamental Garden Flower
Art Shades Mix Phlox is a fast-growing annual flower that brings vibrant, mixed colors to bouquets and garden borders in just 50, 65 days from seed. This open-pollinated cultivar of Phlox drummondii grows as a bushy plant with a naturally compact habit, making it equally at home as a cutting flower for fresh arrangements or as a charming ground cover in smaller spaces. Direct seeding in spring delivers reliable, quick blooms with minimal fuss.
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Moderate
2-11
?in H x ?in W
Annual
High
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What sets Art Shades Mix apart is its speed and versatility. You'll have bouquet-ready flowers in under two months from direct seeding, and the mixed color palette adds spontaneous charm to any arrangement. The compact bush form means it doesn't demand much space, just 8 inches between plants, yet still produces abundant blooms. This is the kind of variety that rewards quick decisions and spontaneous planting with reliable, colorful results.
Art Shades Mix Phlox shines as a cut flower for fresh bouquets and mixed arrangements, particularly prized for its fast turn-around from seed to bloom. The shorter, bushier growth habit also makes it practical as a ground cover or edging plant in garden beds and borders where you want height and color without sprawl.
Sow seeds 4–6 weeks before your last frost date directly into final containers or jumbo plug trays, as this variety dislikes root disturbance. Cover seeds with 1/8 inch of fine soil—darkness is required for germination. Keep soil moist and warm. Carefully transplant outdoors when the first true leaves appear.
Transplant outdoors after the first true leaves appear and soil temperatures have warmed, spacing plants 8 inches apart. Handle seedlings gently to minimize root disturbance.
Direct seed as soon as soil can be worked in spring. Cover seed with 1/8 inch of fine soil, as darkness is required for germination. Thin seedlings when the first true leaves appear, spacing final plants 8 inches apart.
For cut flowers, harvest when approximately 50% of the florets on each stem are open. This timing ensures the blooms will continue opening in the vase, extending the arrangement's lifespan.
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