The name 'creeping phlox' gets thrown around for a handful of ground-hugging species, but the two you’ll bump into most are Phlox subulata and Phlox stolonifera. Both are North American natives, both ...

Creeping phlox is considered a “woodland” species, and has a wider growing area (zones 2-9) than tall phlox. If your creeping phlox has migrated someplace it should not be, it can be pruned.

Pruning after blooming is the general rule for flowering shrubs and perennials, and candytuft (Iberis) and creeping phlox will both reward you with an encore performance of blooms this summer.

Creeping Phlox and Candytuft are two plants that look good year-round and do not require a lot of work to keep them looking spiffy.

You can train it to a fence or wall. Prune off the back- and front-growing branches and train your fig on a single plane, called espalier. It should yield handsomely in full sun with wind protection.