Cut back creeping phlox right after it finishes blooming in spring if pruning at all. Wait until fall frost kills tall phlox before pruning to the ground; fall pruning is keeps powdery mildew at bay.

Gardeners across the country cherish phlox, but it is one of dozens of plants that get passed over because it is typically not in bloom when it's shopping time. Called summer phlox or garden phlox, it ...