When people talk seasonal gardening, fall can get a bad rap. As summer ornamentals begin dropping their blooms, many gardeners shift into “vegetables-only” mode. But as much color as fall vegetable gardens bring to the landscape (and the holiday table), there’s one bright spot in the sea of orange and green: mums. Fall mums add a pop of color to cool-season gardens, balancing foliage-rich, winter-hardy plants and adding to the impact of warm-hued pumpkins and gourds. Get your gloves and spades ready, because fall mums are coming to garden centers in Gray.
Tips for Planting Fall Mums
Mums make beautiful additions to the garden, whether you’re planting them as perennials or simply adding to your annual aesthetic. Fall mums – especially those planted in late autumn – don’t always establish a deep enough root system to survive the winter. Mums are inexpensive, though, making them easy to replace each year with fresh varieties and colors. Give your mums a chance to flourish in your garden by following our fall planting guide for mums.
- Choose a place in the garden that gets at least six hours of sunlight
- Plant mums in rich, well-drained soil
- Make sure your garden has proper irrigation
- Don’t fertilize mums in the fall
- Keep mums well-watered, but don’t overwater fall plants (the soil should be damp, not wet)
Make an Impact This Autumn
- Choose florist mums to cut for the table or hardy mums to plant in the garden
- Pick a style of mums that suits your garden: anemone, pompom, single quilled, semidouble, regular incurve, or spider petaled
- Make a bold statement by grouping mums
- Stick to one or two bright colors, or plant various shades of the same basic color for a gradated effect
- Plant mums next to early blooming fall plants for beautiful color all season
- For an extra burst of color on the porch, plant mums in containers
Is your green thumb itching to add some color to the fall garden? Stop by Ace of Gray and ask about our selection of fall mums in the nursery.
