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.

THANKSGIVING ARRANGEMENTS - Using grasses, cattails, berries, thistles and the last of the florist mums

Well, my weekly arrangements have come to an end with this Fall/Thanksgiving arrangement. Using grasses, thistles, orange pericantha berries, cattails and mums, a colorful and extra long-lasting arrangement can last pretty much the whole month of November. 

It has been a good season for arranging--starting in late March and lasting through November. What is especially interesting to me is seeing the time frame of blooms from year to year. This year many things bloomed much earlier:The Tall Bearded Iris were 2-3 weeks earlier. Because of damage to some plants last year, the hydrangea didn't have buds on--many of their branches dead--but, with patience and good care, they will be blooming next year. Because of the lack of water the fall and winter, the hosta struggled as well. The roses were lovely, and I added three new ones, as well as dozens of lilies, daffodils, clematis, hosta and daylilies. I am already dreaming of next spring!

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.

BRIGHT FALL ARRANGEMENTS

This weeks arrangement consists of fall blooms: florist and garden mums and zinnias. I love having color in the beds this time of year, and zinnias and mums are two of the best to have in your flower gardens. They continue blooming until a killing frost. I keep a record of the bloom and frost times, and here in the top of Utah we've had a killing frost as early as the first of October and as late as the end of November. Another reason why I like both these varieties is because they have such a long vase life. 

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"

ARRANGING FLORIST MUMS--END OF SEASON RAPIDLY APPROACHING

The FLORIST MUMS are in their prime right now, with end-of-season flowering soon approaching. These two varieties are especially good for floral displays, and compliment each other in the arrangement for today. They can last upwards of 4 weeks in an arrangement. They will continue to open up, with blooms as large as 5" across. Strip the stems of all greenery that are in the preservative-prepared water.

Intermediate Incurve . Class 5    Flowers in this class are
not as incurving as the regular incurve and florets are
shorter and present a more open appearance

Decorative . Class 4   These blooms are more
flattened with florets presenting a more open appearance
with some reflexing and some partly incurving.  They are
particularly useful as cut flowers

FLORIST MUMS FOR FALL ARRANGEMENTS

The florist mums have started their bloom. They typically bloom here in the top of Utah in October through November. If the weather permitted, they would continue blooming through December, but, in all my years of growing them, this has never happened. If forecasts predict a hard freeze, I harvest the buds, keeping them in a bucket of water with floral preservative added. These buds will last up to three weeks or more, and the blooms are still well-developed and full. They are the longest lasting flower I use in arrangements, and a mature bloom on size A cultivars can reach 8-10 inches across. Cultivars are grouped by the National Chrysanthemum Society (NCS) by bloom size and class. The letter A, B, or C indicates the size of the bloom, with A being the largest. There are 13 classes, which determine their form. I choose the earliest blooming ones to ensure their bloom before a killing frost. 

Regular Incurve Florist Mum
DEREK BIRCUMSHAW 3B

FALL MUM ARRANGEMENTS

The fall MUMS are blooming. The garden mums have been out for a while, but the FLORIST MUMS are just starting their bloom.The florist mums generally bloom around here from October through November, so I am hopeful a hard freeze won't occur until then. I order my mums through KINGS MUMS, out of Oregon, who have been great to work with.The best time to plant the large blooms is as soon as weather permits in the early spring. Small-flowering varieties can be planted as late as July. They like almost any garden soil type. I add super phosphate to my soil. They like a regular use of nitrogen and potassium, which greatly increases flower size and numbers. In the winter I mulch heavily.I have also protected them with a tent similar to those used for tomatoes to increase their hardiness. With the vast array for size, shape and color, plus their lasting quality in both the garden and vase life, they are one of my favorite blooms for fall.

Large Anemone/Class 8A "PROM KING" with
Garden Cushion Mum/Class 4C "SPICY CHERYL"