A lot of people don’t usually associate fall with flowers. Fall is the time when summer flowers stop blooming, when the leaves turn brown, when gardens become graveyards – maybe even with the Halloween decorations to match. However, there are flowers that bloom in the fall. One easy fall flower to display in your garden is the mum! Whether or not you already have them in your garden, or are looking to invest in this delightful flower, we have just the tips for you – courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens!
The first thing you need to know if you’re looking to invest in these flowers is that they’re perennials, meaning they’ll last all year long. You can plant them as fall flowers in your garden – but since the roots don’t have long to set in, they might not make it through the winter. For your garden, you could plant the mums as annuals. But, if you want them to last year after year, you’re better off planting them in the spring so the roots have a chance to take hold. That doesn’t mean that latecomers can’t still enjoy mums, though! Mums make great container plants, and being able to move them around gives you plenty of options for decorating outdoors or indoors.
There are also different types of mums – too many to go into in our little article. The main difference you’ll want to look for is whether or not they are hardy mums or florist mums. Hardy mums (also known as garden mums) are meant for survival in the outdoors, and can even withstand some winters with the right protection! Florist mums are large and very beautiful, but they are indoor plants.
No matter where you keep your mums, you want to choose a spot that gets six solid hours of sun. For outdoor mums, you want to make sure that you prepare them for the upcoming winter months. Mulch your mums up to four inches with straw or shredded hardwood, and be sure to fill the entire plant. You want to leave all branches intact, but pinch off any dead blooms that you find. The right time to prepare your mums for winter is right after the very first heavy frost – not too early, not too late, but just in the nick of time. With lots of tender love and care, your mums will come back to life year after year.
