Author Denise Wiles Adams calls phlox "the heirloom queen" in her book Restoring American Gardens: An Encyclopedia of Heirloom Ornamental Plants, 1640-1940 (Timber PR.). Her analysis of garden catalogs shows that throughout U.S. history, garden phlox was the most widely mentioned plant over the years.
If you plant phlox this year, chances are good that you will be able to pass the plants on to your children and grandchildren.
It's very decorative and easy to grow.