Let It Grow
By Tammy Thornton
October at the shore has begun with picture perfect autumn weather. Warm, sunny days and fire pit nights with a romantic dose of changing leaves have set the stage for embracing the new season. Of course, with this flipping of the calendar page, we want to decorate accordingly, and chrysanthemums often find their way to our porch steps as a way to greet our guests. In the same way, planting mums (chrysanthemums) in our gardens will infuse them with pops of color and give them new life for fall.
While some gardeners consider fall the time to put their gardens to bed for the winter, they could be missing out on some of the prettiest and most rewarding moments in nature. Spring can often be a season of work and preparation for the gardener, and summer with all its blooms also brings heat and humidity. But the fall garden breathes a sigh of relief. Migrating butterflies dance among the flowers looking for last minute nutrition before their big journey. Bees happily buzz among the newly opened fall flowers, and birds flit about seed heads. Somehow, fall in the garden feels quieter and more peaceful. In the well-planned seasonal garden, you will have perennial plants either newly blooming or changing foliage in fall, providing year-round interest. But if your garden is anything like mine, some sections may look a little tired and beat up after a hot summer. Planting chrysanthemums will infuse color and give new life to a weary garden.
Often mums are treated like annuals, kept in their plastic containers, then kicked to the curb as soon as they are finished blooming. But did you know that if you plant hardy mums in your garden, they will come back to bloom year after year? Those of us living in “true South Jersey” are in gardening zone 7. That means that you can plant those beautiful mums directly in your garden, and they should survive through the winter. Planting mums in early fall will give them time to establish their roots before the winter freeze. After blooming, the foliage will go dormant and your mums will look like they didn’t make it. But when spring rolls around, look close to the ground, and you should see green signs of life. Simply trim the dry stems and flowers with pruners, which will reveal fresh green leaves and living stems. Once the weather warms, your mums will take off and will eventually need a haircut. Left to their own devices, they will start growing like an eighth-grade teenager. They will get tall, lanky, and “leggy”. Pruning your mums between Mother’s Day and the Fourth of July will help you form rounded mums full of blooms. After the Fourth, stop pruning so you are not accidentally removing flower buds.
If we take a walk back around to the front of the house, those lovely colorful mums are gracing our steps to welcome visitors to our home. You’ll want to keep these mums as healthy as possible for maximum blooming time. Keeping them well-watered is the most important task. If they came home from the grocery store or garden center underwatered, plunge them into a clean bucket of cool water for about 15 minutes. Take them out of the bucket, allow them to drain, then replant them in a container. Transplanting them in a slightly larger container with some fresh potting soil will also give them a healthy start. Using pots and other containers will elevate the look of your mums. Create an elegant look by planting your mums in an urn surrounded by fall pansies. Or plant them with fall grasses and sweet potato vine for a professional look.
Mums enjoy cool weather but like to be in the sun. However, October can be a roller coaster of temperatures. If it gets too hot, temporarily move your mums to a shadier area to prolong blooming time. As the flowers fade, deadhead the spent flowers, and you may get extra blooms. When they are truly finished blooming for the season, plant them in the ground for a nice surprise next year. Over time, you will create a fall tapestry of colorful flowers to enjoy throughout the years.
We would love to hear from our readers. Send your questions, comments, and pictures to: shorelocalgardener@gmail.com.
Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.
