When it arrives
Your plug tray
Pot 72-cell plugs into 4-inch pots or plant out after hardening off. Creeping phlox plugs can go straight into the ground 12 inches apart to knit into a mat. Keep moist until rooted.
Made with this by our community
Real dishes from our Field Notes recipes, shared by the people who made them.
Eye Shadow grown by our community
Vote, explore & learn moreAccolades, grower stories, cultivar confidence, sharing, and the full gallery
↻
Fresh votes, familiar photosEvery eligible photo automatically re-enters monthly. Crown first, new entries next, returning entries after.
🏆 Monthly crown tally
Four emojis, four real accolades
Your reaction votes in that category and also adds one equal point to the photo's overall Lavender Crown total.
💜Community FavoriteThe photo you simply love most
📷Best ViewThe strongest composition, setting, or scene
🌱Healthiest VigorStrong visible growth for the plant's age and season
✨Creative GrowingAn inventive pot, trellis, landscape, bed, or field
Category accolades: the photo leading each emoji earns that badge; one photo can earn several. Overall Lavender Crown: all four emoji counts combine, and the highest monthly total wins. Monthly counts restart, but approved photos stay enrolled. Cultivar-confidence votes are separate.
🛡 Automated upload checks, permissions, community confidence, and vote integrity protect each entry.
- Mature height
- 6.0 in
- Mature spread
- 20.0 in
- Bloom
- Late-April – peak Early-May
- Fragrance
- Mild
- Deer
- Moderately resistant
Lavender companion · grow guide
How to grow Eye Shadow
Phlox · Phlox subulata
Two very different plants: garden phlox (P. paniculata) is a tall summer bloomer that wants sun, rich moist soil and good air flow; creeping phlox (P. subulata) is a spring groundcover for sun and lean, well-drained soil.
Check my zone & planting dates
-
Full sunLight
-
Moderate waterAverage drainage
-
pH 5.5–7.5Soil
-
Zones 2a–9bHardiness
-
6″ tall20″ wide
-
SusceptibleDeer · rabbits susceptible
-
Not known toxicPets
Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if Eye Shadow will thrive there.
Hardy in zones 2a–9b
Spring or early fall.
Your year with Eye Shadow
JFMAMJJASOND
When to plant
Spring or early fall.
How deep
Plant at the same depth as in the plug or with the bare-root crown just at soil level.
Spacing
Garden phlox 18–24 inches for air flow; creeping phlox 12–18 inches for a mat.
Soil
Garden phlox: rich, moist loam. Creeping phlox: sandy or gravelly, well-drained soil. · pH 5.5–7.5
Fix-it tip: Add compost for garden phlox. For creeping phlox, add grit to heavy clay or plant on slopes and walls so it never stays wet.
Sun
Full sun (tolerates light part shade).
Garden phlox in shade gets more mildew and fewer flowers; creeping phlox blooms best in full sun.
Don’t give up on it
Is it alive? What spring looks like
Creeping phlox stays evergreen and flowers in early to mid-spring. Garden phlox emerges from the crown in mid-spring as reddish shoots and blooms in mid to late summer.
Spring
Creeping phlox blooms; thin garden phlox shoots.
-
Summer
Garden phlox blooms; deadhead and watch for mildew.
Fall
Cut garden phlox to the ground.
Winter
Creeping phlox stays green; garden phlox dormant.
Watering
First season: Water weekly through the first summer.
After that: Garden phlox needs about an inch a week; water at the soil, not over leaves. Creeping phlox is drought tolerant once established.
Feeding
Garden phlox: compost plus a light balanced feed in spring. Creeping phlox: little to none.
Pruning & deadheading
Garden phlox: deadhead for more bloom; thin to 4–5 stems per clump in spring to reduce mildew. Creeping phlox: shear lightly after spring bloom.
Dividing
Garden phlox every 3–4 years in spring. Creeping phlox rarely; divide or root pieces after bloom.
Winter
Both are very cold hardy (P. paniculata zones 4–8; P. subulata zones 3–9). Cut garden phlox to the ground in fall to remove mildewed leaves.
Summer heat
Garden phlox gets powdery mildew in humid weather; mildew-resistant varieties help. Creeping phlox can brown in hot, wet summers.
White powder on leaves
Likely cause: Powdery mildew
What to do: Thin stems, water at the base, and plant resistant varieties
Stippled, pale leaves with webbing
Likely cause: Spider mites
What to do: Hose off undersides; water in drought
Creeping phlox mat dies in patches
Likely cause: Wet soil or heavy mulch
What to do: Improve drainage; keep mulch off the mat
Shoots nibbled to stubs
Likely cause: Rabbits or deer
What to do: Use fencing or repellents
Too wet or too dry?
Lower leaves yellowing and dropping means garden phlox is too dry; mushy, browning mats of creeping phlox mean wet soil.
Watch for
- Powdery mildew (garden phlox)
- Spider mites in hot, dry weather
- Phlox bug
- Rabbits and deer browsing
Pets & wildlife
ASPCA lists moss (creeping) phlox as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
Deer: susceptible · Rabbits: susceptible
Finnegan saysStill not sure what’s wrong? Ask Plant Health — describe it or add a photo.
In a container
Good in pots · 2 gallon+
Creeping phlox spills over pot edges; compact garden phlox also works in large pots.
Indoors
Outdoor plant
Hardy perennials that need winter dormancy.
Winter chill
Best after a cold winter
Creeping phlox blooms in spring after winter cold; garden phlox often blooms the first summer.
Growing it on
Plugs from the tray
3–4 inch pots for 3–5 weeks, until roots hold the soil
Garden bed or a 2 gallon pot
Time to move up? Slide the plant out: if white roots wrap the outside of the soil, it’s ready for the next size.
Planting with lavender
Plant it near your lavender
Creeping phlox fits the edge of a sunny lavender bed with the same lean, well-drained soil. Garden phlox needs richer, moister soil, so grow it in a neighboring border.
Same bedNearbyIts own area
Community Grower Report
How does Eye Shadow Creeping Phlox grow for you?
Real results from gardeners who grow it, including how it does beside lavender. Answer only what you have experience with.
Loading community reports…
–out of 5
Overall
recommendation
Your grower tips
Optional. The farm reads every tip before it appears on this page.
Tips from growers
Grower-sourced information. Results reflect real gardens and farms and vary with climate, soil, plant age and care.
Great Lakes Lavender Farm
Is your plant struggling?
Use our evidence-led health checker for a practical recovery plan, staff review, or a second opinion from the Grower Community.
GREAT LAKES LAVENDER FARM
Customer Reviews
Reviews from growers, gardeners and shoppers.
—
🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻
Loading reviews…SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
Great Lakes Lavender Farm Community
Plants, lavender products, apparel, gifts and growing supplies.
Customer Photos
Community Reels
Loading reviews…
No approved reviews match this filter.
