"Mums" the Word!

Available in a wide range of colors and varieties, the Garden Chrysanthemum is definitely a must have for fall gardens. It comes in double petals, semi-double, and fringed petals but it is still a daisy deep down inside.

At Fairview, we carry the hardiest brands of mums including Belgian ®, High Flyer ®, Prophet ® as well as traditional varieties. Our mums are bred to be durable and break resistant with a round growth habit that is covered with hundreds of colorful blooms. Mums come in shades of white, yellow, orange, red, lavender and purple and have different bloom times (see below). The flower can be shaped like a daisy, spider or decorative (traditional) bloom.

MUM CARE FOR FALL
Mums are a very low maintenance plant. They are drought resistant, once established.
-- Full to partial sun. At least 6 hours of direct sun is ideal.
-- Plant about 2 feet apart in bedding areas.
-- Fertilize with Osmocote after planting and water thoroughly.
-- Water mums from the soil to prevent stem rot.
-- *Once the ground freezes, mulch well to prevent plants from heaving out of the ground, thus freezing the roots.

MUM CARE FOR SPRING
Pinching back occasionally during summer encourages compact and bushy growth, therefore more blooms in the fall. By the middle of July stop pinching back to allow for bud formation.

*Note: If you are planting mums in a container, they probably will act more as an annual, rather than a perennial.


Just for Fun
-- Mums originated from the orient and were the exclusive possession of the Japanese emperor. Even today, annual festivals are celebrated in communities throughout Japan.

-- The Dutch were the first to introduce mums to the European world. The French Huguenots developed the purple variety, which was then introduced to the Americas in 1798.

-- Today, there are numerous varieties of mums readily available and thanks to much research done by specialized growers, they are continuously improving their size, shape and colors.

>> Tip: Mums make exceptional container plants to be mixed with pansies, cabbage, kale, or a variety of Fairview Fall Favorite plants for breathtaking fall color. Mums also look great in the landscape with companion plants such as Nandinas, Hollies, Burning Bush, and Indian Hawthorn.

Fairview's 2009 Mum & Aster Selection

Asters
Magic: Purple Bloom, Daisy, Very Early
Days: Blue/Lavender Bloom, Daisy, Early
Winston Churchill: Raspberry Bloom, Daisy, Early

Very Early Bloomers - Early September
Amiko Violet: Violet/Pink Bloom, Decorative, Belgian
Urano Orange: Orange Bloom, Daisy, Belgian
Urano Yellow: Yellow Bloom, Daisy, Belgian
Michelle: Yellow Bloom, Daisy, Prophet

Early Bloomers - Early to Mid September
Atlantico: Yellow Bloom, Daisy, Belgian
Aluga: White Bloom, Decorative, Belgian
Padre: White Bloom, Spider, Belgian
Beth: Purple Bloom, Decorative, Prophet
Bold Gretchen: Orange Bloom, Decorative, Prophet
Bonnie: Red Bloom, Daisy, Prophet
Hannah: Orange Bloom, Decorative, Prophet

Mid-Season - Mid to Late September
Cesaro: Yellow Bloom, Decorative, Belgian
Goldfinch: Yellow Bloom, Decorative, High Flyer
Savona: Red Bloom, Decorative, Belgian
Crazy Victoria: Bronze & Yellow (two-toned) Bloom: Decorative, Prophet
Darlene: Purple Bloom, Decorative, Prophet
Dawn: Yellow Bloom, Decorative, Prophet
Janice: Yellow Bloom, Decorative, Traditional
Peacock: Lavender Bloom, Decorative, High Flyer
Sly Jenna: Red Bloom, Decorative, Prophet

Late Season - Late September - Early October
Carpino: Purple Bloom, Decorative, Belgian
Ashley: Orange Bloom, Decorative, Prophet
Mary: Yellow Bloom, Decorative, Prophet
Yolanda: Yellow Bloom, Decorative, Prophet