White Phlox Surprise

At the farmer's market this morning I met with Bruce, an avid gardener and war veteran. He must be about 80. He comes every Saturday to sell war veteran's caps and his many varieties of daylilies and other perennials. Last week I brought him a lot of plastic pots he told me he needed and we arranged a trade for 2 plants I might like. I took a purple fall aster which was rather small but will thrive for next year' bloom.
Bruce told me he would bring phlox plants the next Saturday. I have seen a brilliant cerise one blooming in some gardens and wanted that. But he had a pale pink and a white. He proudly declared that his white phlox had won grand prize in this year's flower competition at the County Fair! Well, that was for me.
What a surprise when I went to pick up the plant. I was expecting one the size of the aster. But this nearly four foot tall and 3 feet wide, full blooming beauty had been freshly dug that morning. It filled a 4 gallon tub. The extraordinarily sweet-spicy fragrance filled my car and accompanied me all the way home.
I cut all the flower stems and divided the plant in half before setting in the front garden nearest the street.
This photo is of the relatives of the grand prize winner now blooming here in my bedroom. They are probably not a large as the winner. It is rather sharp because I had to use the flash. The picture on the wall is an Indian painting on cotton fabric of a Persian garden. Not sure if they are growing phlox but they certainly are watering. The white blooms are pouring their fragrance into the whole house.