Sure signs of fall:
Weather is getting colder
Leaves are turning
Sounds of Friday night football fill the air
Mums have come out to decorate the world
Known as the “Queen of the Fall Flowers,” chrysanthemums or mums for short; have been recorded in writings as early as 15th century B.C. in China.They then found their way to Japan and have since become the Japanese national flower and is still the family crest of the Japanese Imperial Family. They showed up here in the United States during colonial times and are often seen gracing homecoming corsages, fall floral arrangements, and doorsteps as a welcome to the cooler weather of fall.
According to plant-care.com there are hundreds of varieties to choose from. Depending on your style you can probably find a mum to suit your tastes. Do you enjoy a more traditional look? The classic look of a dwarf white may work well for you. If a little more pop is your style then you may enjoy the yellow variety. To really add some zing to your garden then a multi-color variety will be a treat for your eyes. The Pumpkin Mum sold by kingsmums.com has a yellow center with orange florets while the Diana Stoakes is a quilled combination of maroon and silver.
The array of choices is astounding and the option to either treat as an annual or a perennial is a nice one to have. As an annual all you have to do is plant them wherever you like or leave them in the pots; once the blooming season is over then the plants can be discarded. For those living in more temporary quarters such as apartments or rented homes this is probably the best option for using mums. If you own your home or have permission from your landlord to plant then treating these as a perennial may be the way to go but be warned , it does require a little more work and forethought as you will want to ensure they have plenty of sun and fertile soil.
A trip to Lowes or Home Depot look to be in the near future as a way to brighten up our fall doorstep!
Printer-friendly version