By Tammy Thornton
Every year, our South Jersey area gets a beauty treatment for fall. Colorful mums from the Belhaven Middle School Band in Linwood grace porches, entryways, and gardens, marking the start of the autumn season. Throughout the year, the band holds various fundraisers, such as selling mums (chrysanthemums) in the fall, to support their activities. Students can earn money towards band trips that have included Historic Williamsburg, Boston, Niagara Falls, and Disney World. According to band director Nancy Robinson, of the many fundraising opportunities that students normally have throughout the year to earn money for their trip, the mum sale is by far the biggest fundraiser. “People tell me they don’t even have to ‘sell’ them – people call and ask if they can buy them!”, said Robinson.
This year was anything but normal. Due to the Covid-19 virus, the spring trip to Disney World had to be cancelled as well as band concerts and the scheduled trip for next spring. Band lessons and meetings have changed from in-person to virtual and most fundraisers were stopped. Fortunately, for friends, neighbors, and family of band students, the sale of mums was still permitted since the entire process took place outdoors. Though there won’t be a band trip this spring, students who sold mums can apply their earnings towards year books this year or next school year’s trip.
Belhaven Band has been selling mums for approximately ten years. For the last few years, they have been obtaining the mums from Four Seasons Nursery in Clayton, New Jersey. Despite this year’s unusual circumstances, students still sold over 1,200 mums! Distributing these mums is quite a process. Along with band director Nancy Robinson and the assistant band director, David Lamkin, masked parent volunteers spent about three hours on September 18, unloading the trucks and then organizing the flowers for delivery. The efforts of the band family as a group contribute to the success of the band organization. Robinson said she feels, “blessed to have such wonderful parents to work with!”
Here are some tips for caring for fall mums. Though it’s tempting to choose plants full of blooms, pick ones that still have unopened buds, so the flowering will last longer. As the bloom fades, snip off spent flowers to encourage new growth. When you bring mums home, give them a good watering. Mums are thirsty plants that will dry out fast if left in a container. Personalize your fall display by repotting your mums into baskets, window boxes, or decorative pots mixed with pansies and pumpkins. For a non-traditional display, couple purple mums (which are actually asters) and pink mums with white pumpkins.
Though many people treat mums as annuals and throw them out after blooming, hardy mums can be enjoyed year after year as perennials. Plant your mums in the ground a few weeks before the first frost to give roots a chance to establish. Water well and add some mulch around the plant. Mums tend to get “leggy”. Give them a pruning about twice a year to encourage blooms and to create that familiar rounded shape.
Shore Local News would love to see how you have creatively displayed your fall mums. Send your photos, questions, or comments to shorelocalgardener.com.
Tammy Thornton is a mom of four, a substitute teacher, and a Sunday school teacher. She is passionate about gardening and cooking, and loves the beach.
