Interesting about chopping penstemon. I was wondering about that. I guess for campanula, they mean the taller varieties. I'm not sure I'd risk the phlox just yet.
I got psssd off with a phlox I bought last year. It got slugged before I even planted it. I put it in A& E over winter and after sprouting this spring, it got slugged again while still in the pot. It's on the compost heap
I really struggled getting the phlox to flowering height last year, but they have, oddly, come back ok this year and the slugs are distracted by other plants, mstly bulbs.
Oddly enough I rarely see phlox on sale here or in gardens I've visited. I shall probably try sowing some cos I do like it.
Another oddity is that the RHS site doesn't have a comprehensive list of plants suitable for the CC but it does have a video of how to do it if you scroll down this page - https://www.rhs.org.uk/pruning/chelsea-chop
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Had it not turned out to be Barbie pink, I might have made more effort to save it . I remember them in my parent's garden . They were quite high. Probably another plant that slugs lose interest in after it gets to a certain height.
Yes, you cut the plant back by a third to a half so it produces its flowers later on shorter more sturdy stems and often more flowers than if just left to itself. If you've never tried the CC, have a read of the info on the links in earlier posts and watch the video on the RHS site.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
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It's on the compost heap
Another oddity is that the RHS site doesn't have a comprehensive list of plants suitable for the CC but it does have a video of how to do it if you scroll down this page -
https://www.rhs.org.uk/pruning/chelsea-chop
Recommended for the Chelsea chop in May @Ilikeplants