Mum Bouquet

Yellow mums from my garden bring a hint of fall into my den. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Mum Bouquet

One easy way to bring fall into our homes is to have a fresh bouquet of chrysanthemums. It doesn’t have to be very big, some of the smallest flower vases with a tiny sprig of mums will do. These hardy, easy to grow flowers also make nice long lived cut flowers. You can extend their time in a vase by changing the water every few days and keeping them away from heat sources.

If you are having a fall gathering outside, mums are natural bug deterrents so scatter small pots of mums around the gathering area. Then give them away at the end as a thank you gift.

If they are in the right conditions, you may also find mum stems sprouting tiny white hairs, which are roots. If you see roots, you can plant the stem in new potting soil and grow more mums. Keep hydrated. Within a couple of months, you will have a new mum plant you can move out into your garden next spring.

Garden hardy mums will return from year to year once established. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Garden Hardy Mums v. Florist Mums

Garden hardy mums are perennials. Once established, they will come back year to year. You can sometimes find them in the fall to add to your garden. They come in a range of colors from yellows; white; pink through lavender, orange and brown in a variety of flower shapes.

If you plant them in the fall, you will need to water them through winter a couple of times a month to keep their roots moist as they get established.

If you think ahead, spring is a better time to buy mums and get them planted. Then they have a good three of the four seasons to grow and establish themselves.

A little mum start this year can easy grow into a nice size plant next year. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

If you already have established mums, you can take cuttings, put them in water and plant them in new garden areas once roots appear.

Florist mums are grown in greenhouses and usually don’t survive exposure to cold weather. They are fun to have in the house for awhile; potted mums will usually last longer than cut mums.

Charlotte