FLORIST CHRYSANTHEMUMS -- LATE BLOOMERS ADD BEAUTY TO FALL GARDENS

These florist mums are an exceptional fall bloom. Flowering late in the year, from the end of October and all of November, makes them a much-needed color in the late fall garden. The only down part is that if we get an early killing frost, they don't have to bloom.  This hasn't happened to me yet, and I've grown these beautiful blooms for 7 or 8 years now. 

This arrangement was made November 13. However, I had harvested them two weeks earlier. I have two boxes in a community garden, and they required us to clean up our boxes October 30, so I cut off all the stems, most in bud stage, and kept them in a large bucket on my back porch. I made the arrangement two weeks later. The arrangement lasted well over two weeks. The mums have the very longest vase life of any flower I grow.

The two varieties here are florist mums light lavender/white decorative variety "Resomee" and a beautiful reflex variety, rosy lavender, "Bill Holden" 

These medium-sized plants were still 5 feet tall, and they really needed to be staked at that height.  I am going to pinch them off next year even shorter than I did this year to keep them more manageable.  They can be pinched back to as late as July 4 here in zone 6.  Next season I will cut them down to 6" at that time.

No garden should be without some mums for the fall. Their color, hardiness and longevity is unmatched for blooms at that time of year.

FALL ARRANGEMENTS - Decorative Florist mums flourish when the nights get longer

Fall mums bloom when the nights get longer because they need darkness to flower. The cool weather also helps with the bloom size, which will be larger, and color, which will be more intense, of these hardy beauties. (People wanting their mums to bloom earlier can spread a sheet over the plants for a time during the day to increase the time of darkness). I just let them bloom at their normal time, as they add such color and beauty to the fall months of October and November. These decorative, reflex and anemone varieties bloom primarily in late October and November in my zone 6. If necessary, I harvest the flowers in tight bud stage, and keep in water in a refrigerator in the garage until ready to use. For this arrangement, the buds had been harvested and in the refrigerator for three weeks.This arrangement will last upwards of 2-3 weeks more. Pretty amazing! The three varieties are Bill Holden (Reflex), Resomee (Decorative), and Prom Queen (Anemone).  They can easily reach 8" across if the side laterals or branches are removed, or disbudded, one to a stem. I mulch these during the winter months, after the stalks are cut back to the ground after harvesting. 

FALL ARRANGEMENTS - Mums have an extra long vase life

Garden and Florist Chrysanthemums, commonly called mums, are beautiful and colorful fall bloomers that are exceptional for arrangements because of their lasting power in the vase. I have had arrangements last as long as a month, as this fall arrangement of daisy-like blooms of Anemone "Prom King.".

For these colorful displays, just pick the flowers before they are opened fully, stripping off all foliage that will be beneath the water line. Plunge in deep water that has been treated with a floral preservative, and it's best to keep arrangements out of direct sunlight and out of drafts. I love the wide color assortment that they come in--from pure white, to pink, peach, apricot, yellow, golden, bronze, orange and rust.  They also come in all shades of purple and burgundy, and various multi shades of two or more colors. There is even a nice green mum.

Their form is as diverse as their colors--singles, spoons, quills, doubles, spiders, decorative, cascades, the small gnomes, garden cushion,  anemone, pompoms and exotic. The same goes for their size--anything from the tiny gnomes to the huge, giant exhibition blooms that reach 8" across! Their height is also varied--short, medium and tall ranging from one foot to 4 or 5 feet tall. I love them for their easy growth, hardiness, and explosive color in the fall months when their color is so needed. It is suggested to keep the plants at 6" tall until the 4th of July. If the plant need to be pruned back, it just makes the plants bushier and more manageable in the fall. They like moist, but not wet, soil, and a feeding of a balanced fertilizer early in the season, or when planting in the spring, when all danger of frost has passed. These beauties will return each year, giving you many years of enjoyment.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS -- Long-lasting in the vase for fall arrangements

I harvested my florist mums before we had a hard freeze. These blooms have been in a big bucket of water on the  protected patio since October--nearly three weeks. They are opening nicely and will continue to do so in this weeks arrangement.  When arranging it, I found new leaves forming on the stripped stems--that's how wonderful they are as a cut flower--they make great fall arrangements, lasting 3 or more weeks in the vase. They come in a wide variety of classes and colors, and are a definite must for your fall flower beds.This variety is a REFLEX, Class 2, named BILL HOLDEN, 2A. The blooms are large, reaching as big as 5 inches across. It is a strong upright grower, and produces many flowers. Arrange when centers are still in tight bud. They will completely unfold, producing a huge floret.

FALL MUMS - 2014

CHRYSANTHEMUMS are one of the most durable plants in the fall, even when temperatures drop to near freezing.  These colorful flowers come in  13 different classes and range from 1 to 5-plus feet tall, with blooms as small as a button to the huge florist mums that can be as big as 5-6" across. Among many things I love about them is their long vase life--they can last as long as 4 weeks and look fresh in your arrangements. This year they have been especially beautiful. I have several throughout the gardens.  No fall would be complete without a variety of these beauties in the garden. 

GIANT MUMS FOR FALL ARRANGEMENTS

The last of the giant, or florist, mums are coming to a close here in the top of Utah. Next year I plan on getting some that bloom even later--so hopefully our weather will cooperate for the big, exciting, beautiful blooms. They are fragrant, easy to care for and grow, and have been resistant to any pests or problems the many years I've grown them. Another big reason I grow them is for their amazing long-lasting quality. Arrangements last for 4 plus weeks, and they seem to get better with age. I use a floral preservative, and have harvested them up to three weeks early in the bud stage and kept them in a cool garage until arranging. The arrangement I made today was harvested October 27--3 weeks ago! The SPIDER MUMS will continue to unfold, until their centers are big and full, and the tendrils with slender tube florets have tip ends notched and open as though they had burst, and can cascade down up to 4 inches. They are beautiful to behold! The REGULAR INCURVE yellow mum will continue to open up until a complete ball is formed, with florets closely incurving in a compact manner, with a smooth finish. Cultivars are grouped by the National Chrysanthemum Society (NCS) by bloom class number. These two come from medium plants (3-4 feet tall), and are classes 11A (Spider, large bloom) and 3B (5) (Regular Incurve, medium bloom). For more information on chrysanthemum plants in the United States, you can check out www.kingsmums.com. 

White "ICICLES" 11A
Bloom time Nov 3 - Nov 23

Pure white Spider Mum with slender tube florets, ending
with tip notched ends.  Disbud to terminal bud.

Vibrant deep golden yellow regular incurve
"DEREK BIRCUMSHAW" forms to a complete ball.

Lovely blooms of "ICICLES" and
"DEREK BIRCUMSHAW"