Fall Mums and Where to Plant Them
Few things are as ubiquitous with fall as autumnal-colored chrysanthemums (more commonly referred to as mums). Red, orange, yellow and plum. The perfect colors to represent the change of the season.
Mums are ideal front porch additions or perennials to add amongst your landscaping. A final bloom to enjoy before the chills of winter set in! One tip for picking out mums at the garden center (or even the grocery store!): select a plant that has buds but not blooms. Your mums will last significantly longer and bloom after being planted, giving you longer to enjoy them in your home. Another hack regarding watering: the shallow root system for mums are thirsty! Be sure keep the soil moist and if they are displayed in their grow pot, soak the mum from the bottom-up (rather than watering from the top-down).
Keep reading for my care tips for mums and ideas of where to plant them.
Mums in Planters
I recently completed building cedar planters in our backyard to hold the string light poles and create a prettier patio scene. The best part? I left the top half available to use as a planter! And since this was done right as the fall season was rounding the corner, mums were the perfect flower to plant. I love that I’ll be able to add spring flowers when the time comes, but for now, it’s such a beautiful pop of fall color in our yard. When caring for mums in planters, be sure to water around the soil vs. directly on top of the blooms. This helps to prevent breakage of the flowers and ensures the water goes primarily to the root.
I’ve also added mums to planters on my front porch! The key here (especially if they are in direct sunlight) is to water them nearly every day!
Mums in a Pumpkin
Enter the easiest and most charming fall DIY idea: a mum inside a carved pumpkin. This is a great decor idea for a front porch or even as a centerpiece for Thanksgiving. And it’s super simple! Carve a medium-to-large size pumpkin and fully clean out the inside. Soak in a bleach wash to make your pumpkin last for longer. Then, place the mum inside the pumpkin (be sure to keep it in the grow pot). When you need to water the mum, remove it from the pumpkin and soak it in water for 10 minutes.
Plant Mums in the Ground
Did you know that mums are technically a perennial plant? This means they should come back each year. They need full or partial sunlight and lots of water. Seriously, check them daily to be sure they don’t dry out. Expect blooms from early September to late fall, depending on the weather conditions in your region. Remove old leaves and spent blooms to encourage new growth and in the spring, be sure to prune them back to grow and produce fall blooms!
