"A quintessential cottage-garden plant" is how the Horticultural Trades Association is describing the latest plant of the month - phlox.
Garden centres are being encouraged to make the most of the herbaceous perennial's fragrant pink, white or purple/blue flowers which bloom from midsummer to late autumn. Phlox is also often used to attract bees and insects into the garden, according to the HTA.

HTA horticultural advisor David Gilchrist said: "Phlox is a quite superb hardy herbaceous perennial, with sweetly fragrant panicles of pink, white and purple/blue flowers. It is the ideal herbaceous or mixed border plant and can be used informally in a cottage garden. It is also good for cutting and flower arranging. Phlox 'Nora Leigh' has a variegated leave form and is well worth growing in the border."

The plant of the month campaign is geared towards helping consumers and horticultural retailers to feature plants which are looking great and are widely available on specific months of the year.