Chrysanthemums reflect all the colors of fall. Whether used indoors as a centerpiece for a dining room table setting or outdoors surrounded by 
pumpkins, pansies, and ornamental cabbage, they put on a showy celebration of the season.
Mums originated in China more than 600 years ago as an herb associated withe the power of life. Today, we consider them a staple in the fall garden. According to the National Chrysanthemum Society, there are more than 100 cultivars available in a kaleidoscope of fall colors from white to gold to mauve to deep bronze.
I usually buy at least a couple of mums in October to put in containers on both sides of my courtyard gate. I look for the ones with the least amount of open buds in hopes they’ll still be beautiful when Thanksgiving rolls around. But if you are interested in adding mums to your flower beds, it’ll require a little extra planning and care.
It’s tempting to buy the big, beautiful mums you find now and bring instant color to your landscape. Actually the smaller spring chrysanthemums are a better investment. Planting in the spring estaqblishes a stronger root system which helps them survive winter. You’ll be rewarded with bigger blooms the next flowering season. The mums you buy now from your local garden center are hardy and some, if not all, may make it through winter depending on just how harsh winter turns out.
Mum Care
Chrysanthemums like at least six hours of sun each day. 
They prefer well-draining soil and should be spaced at least three feet apart to give them some growing room. Early morning watering at the base of the plant works best. They like to be fed a water-soluble fertilizer once a week during the growing season, spring through summer. If you wait and plant in beds next spring, you’ll need to pinch back the new growth shoots throughout the growing season to encourage a fuller plant with more blooms.
*The whole pinching process was my downfall the last time I tried to plant mums in my flower beds. It was more than I had time to commit.
If you choose to plant your mums now, you’ll want to add about a 4″ layer of mulch to help them through the colder month of winter.
*After the mums I put in containers or the ones I use indoors fade away, I usually ditch them. I know I’m a bad mum Mom.
What is your favorite color of mum? Do you use them in containers or plant them in the ground, or bring them inside for a beautiful fall display?
Please send pictures to mitzi@nowhabersham or post them to Green Thumb Gardening on www.facebook.com/nowhabersham/ . We would love to get new ideas for these fall beauties.
