Mums- the Classic Fall Flower

For Instant Color, Just Add Mums!Sadly, Summer flowers have faded. The good news is that you can still add new life and color to your garden. In fact, some of the most beautiful colors you've seen all year are waiting right now to enter your garden. How? Mums. Garden show-offs with blooms that last for weeks, not days. Mums are easy to find, plant, care for, and even easier to enjoy. Mums made easy. No mumbo-jumbo.Find the mums you like best at garden centers. The hardest part is deciding — there are so many colors to choose from.Some gardeners simply like to dig a shallow hole and drop the whole pot into it. But if your goal is to plant these to try and have them return next year, find a spot in full sun with rich, well-drained soil. Mums don't mind being transplanted while they're in flower.Space plants about 18-24 inches apart. Mums do better when they’re not overcrowded.Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball.Mix compost or Garden Soil in.Plant mums at the same depth that they were in the pot, and backfill with the amended soil.Water the soil thoroughly (not the foliage). Follow up with about an inch of water per week.Secrets for growing better mums-It's best to get mums into the ground before the frost to give them time to establish their roots.Don't pinch, cut, divide or do any of the other violent things people do to mums when you first plant them in the Fall. They’ll survive better if you wait until Spring.After the first frost, add a 4" layer of mulch or straw around the plant to protect it through Winter.Divide chrysanthemums every 3-5 years to keep them at their best.Who needs to rely on Fall foliage when you've got mums for color? We hope that you're inspired to go out and plant a few. Mums are the perfect way to keep the beauty going strong in your garden, as another satisfying outdoor growing season comes to a close.