Second Bloom

A little faded, vintage-looking, delicate flowers fill with the casting sun of an autumn afternoon.

The old-fashioned phlox that has its way with the edges of my garden is typically a spring and early summer flower, brilliant magenta just after the summer solstice, calling hummingbirds and butterflies from all points in the area. But in the heat of August the last straggling blooms have dropped their petals leaving the clusters of round seed pods to turn a coppery brown as the days grow short.

They can bloom quite tall—as high as six feet. I discovered that cutting them back when the last petals have fallen in summer will encourage them to bloom again in autumn, and while their flamboyant first bloom matches nature’s passion in midsummer, so their delicate blooms, a little smaller, a little fewer, white centers tipped with a delicate pink, reflect the aging of the year. Both smell just as sweet, though.

Below is a photo of the same plant blooming in early July; click the image to read the original post.

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