gardening
Mum’s the word
Story by Pat Rubin
Chrysanthemums put on a colorful fall display
Come September, all I can think of is chrysanthemums. It’s probably because the days are getting shorter, and even on warm days, there’s a def inite chil l in the morning air. For me, it’s time to clear away summer’s green bounty and replace it with something more suitable for the dark skies ahead. Suddenly I want chrysanthemums in all the planter boxes, and I pat myself on the back for planting some of the fancier varieties the previous spring. I want my fall garden filled with flowers in shades of red, yellow, orange, bronze and purple. So it’s mums, of course. Chrysanthemums are part of the genus Asteraceae , and are native to Europe and Asia. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of varieties. Some look like starbursts, while others have petals with spoon-shaped edges. Some mums form ground-hugging mats covered with tiny flowers, while others grow 6 feet tall. One thing they all have in common: They are all showy. My advice is to visit your local nursery or garden center and find mums you like. Plant them in your garden and buy a few pots for the front porch to give your house a festive feel. Next spring, go online to find fancy mums and order a few. They like sunshine and an evenly moist soil (plants will rot in heavy, soggy soil). Pinching over the summer will make the plants bushier and produce more blooms in the fall. For even bigger f lowers, thin the
flower buds until you leave only the biggest ones. Mums are hardy to USDA Zone 5. The National Chrysanthemum Society divides mums into 13 categories by flower shape. Here are some of the most popular: • Spider: Once you see a spider mum, you’ll never forget what it looks like. The petals (actually f lorets) are long and thin and go in all directions at once. • Quill: Petals are long and shaped like tubes. The tube is open at the end. • Pompon: These mums are among the smallest, growing only about 4 to 6 inches high. They produce tight clusters of blooms and are great in flower arrangements. • Spoon: The tip of each petal ends in a spoon. • Thistle: The petals seem to grow upward and are reminiscent of a thistle bloom. Last tip: Plant the potted mums you had on the front porch in the ground. Next spring, you can start the cycle over again and have plenty of colorful chrysanthemums in the garden. Visit the website of the National Chrysanthemum Society (www.mums.org) for more information about buying and growing mums. The site also lists local club chapters.
Pat Rubin info@californiabountiful.com
MORE ONLINE Pat’s Garden Travels takes you to two of the state’s most beautiful Japanese gardens. She also provides a seasonal to-do list and answers questions on how to maintain Japanese maples and ornamental grasses. All at www.californiabountiful.com.
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September/October 2020
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