As with most things in life, gardening is a mixed bag of good and bad. The key to survival is to minimize the bad and accentuate the good. Huh? Yeah, I hate it too when I start to get philosophical.

Q: My tall garden phlox has powdery mildew. The plants are 3 years old, and the last 2 years theyve had 50 percent of the leaves covered in mildew, even though I sprayed them. This helps, but the ...

Q. My phlox bloom beautifully but the leaves turn white and the blossoms wilt because of disease. Please tell me how to treat them. Beulah Stone, Muskegon A. Powdery mildew is the most likely culprit.

Wait until fall frost kills tall phlox before pruning to the ground; fall pruning is keeps powdery mildew at bay. Regular deadheading and light trimming encourage bushier growth, extend blooming, and ...