By Kathy Jentz
I’ll confess I had a
longtime aversion to chrysanthemums. Both their smell and commonness turned me
off. But recently I had a change of heart. I discovered a whole new world of
mum growing that goes far beyond those boring mums sold in bunches at your
local supermarkets.
Chrysanthemums are an asset to any perennial garden. They
provide quiet foliage all through the growing season and then set bloom right
when most everything else is finished. From gold to pink to white and maroon,
there is a color for every planting scheme. Don’t limit yourself to just the
pompon cushion variety either. A personal favorite of mine mum is the Sheffield
Pink, which looks
like a peach-colored daisy on tall stems. It is terrific for cutting and is
especially nice planted next to Autumn Joy sedum.
The flower is significant in many world cultures. The name “Chrysanthemum”
is derived from the Greek, chrysos (gold) and anthos (flower). Chrysanthemums
were first cultivated in China
as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. In many countries, it is associated with
funerals and grief. In the United
States, mums are generally seen as a
cheerful bloom. The flowers have medicinal, culinary, and insecticidal properties
– aside from their ornamental attributes.
According to Gary
Mangum, president of Bell
Nursery, who supplies plants to Home Depot throughout the Mid-Atlantic,
“Yellow is the most popular mum color for us.” Bell Nursery has taken the love
of mums to the next level by breeding giant mums that are upwards of three feet
across! “We find that people get instant gratification by covering a lot of
area and getting a lot of color with fewer plants,” said Mangum. “We have seen
a huge growth in the popularity of the giant mums each year they are in the
stores.” Home Depot expects to sell 30,000 of the giant mums in the region this
year, doubling last year’s sales, as well as selling 500,000 of Bell Nursery’s
regular sized mums.
Whether giant or
mini or in between, mums deserve a place in your garden. Here are some
chrysanthemum growing tips:
- Mums are ideal container plants and can then be planted
after blooming.
- Be sure you select plants that are cold hardy and
healthy.
- Plant in full sun and give them space. They need good
air circulation.
- Every three years divide the plants in spring.
- They need good drainage and a light mulching in spring
helps.
- Pinch them back before July to create compact, bushy
plants with more blooms.
- Provide extra mulch in fall for winter protection and
do not cut them back until early spring when some new basal growth begins
to emerge.
- A hard frost will turn the blooms brown, so if you know
a freeze is predicted, you can give them protection to prolong the bloom
life by covering with a frost blanket.
Both Longwood
Gardens in Kennett Square, PA,
and Brookside Gardens in Wheaton,
MD, hold chrysanthemum shows each
autumn. The displays include a variety of chrysanthemum colors and forms – from
cascading baskets to topiary to single, large blossoms. Plan a visit to one or both
to get an overview of the mums available to you.
If you find yourself
growing more interested in breeding and cultivating chrysanthemums, you may
want to join a local mum enthusiast group.
The Potomac Chrysanthemum Society (PCS). The club holds an annual
plant sale each May in various locations around the beltway. All plants are
$1.25 and selection is wide. The club also hosts monthly meetings at the
Twinbrook Library in Rockville,
MD, and other regular events such
as a plant exchange. For more information, contact the PCS President Warren
Pfeiffer at
Potomac@mums.org.
The Old Dominion
Chrysanthemum Society is based in Alexandria, VA, meets monthly at the Falls Church Community Center in
Falls Church, VA. For details, contact Jim
Dunne at jim.dunne@mums.org.
About the Author:
Kathy Jentz is editor/publisher of Washington
Gardener magazine. Washington
Gardener magazine, is a new gardening publication published specifically
for the local metro area — zones 6-7 — Washington
DC and its suburbs.
The magazine is written
entirely by local area gardeners. They have real-world knowledge and practical
advice with the same problems you experience in your own gardens. They share their
thoughts on what to plant in deep shade, how to cover bare spots, which annuals
work best throughout the humid DC summers, and much more. If you are a DC area
gardener, you’ll love Washington Gardener
magazine!
The magazine
is published quarterly with a cover price of $4.99. A year’s
subscription is $20.00 — that’s a savings of almost 40% off the per issue
price. To subscribe to the magazine: Send a check/money order for $20.00
payable to “Washington Gardener” magazine to: Washington Gardener, 826
Philadelphia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910 OR to pay via Paypal/credit card
click on the “subscribe”
link at www.WashingtonGardener.com.
Washington Gardener magazine also makes a great gift for the gardeners
and new home owners in your life.
All who are involved with You Can Grow That! (YCGT!) believe that plants and gardening
enhance our quality of life. We want people to be successful with what
they grow and to become more aware of the many gifts that horticulture
brings. Find out more at
http://www.youcangrowthat.com/.
