Hardy Garden Mums
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Pink daisy-like hardy garden Mums were planted last fall, survived winter and made it through our record hot summer. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)
Hardy Garden Mums
Have you ever wondered why some mums make it through winter but others do not?
Getting mums through their first winter in a garden can be challenging. There are a couple of reasons why including that there are two different types of mums.
The perennial, fall-flowering form is Chrysanthemum x morifolium and are the best to add to gardens. These are the ones that come back year after year once they get established. By comparison, the annual variety is Chrysanthemum x multicaule. These tend to be sold as gift plants in grocery stores and florists and don’t do well outside of a greenhouse.
If your plant has no identification, here’s how to easily tell them apart. Annual mums have thinner, strappy leaves that are not as toothed as the perennials, which are wide and deeply notched.
How to Plant Hardy Garden Mums
Make sure the root ball is nicely hydrated. I will place them in a bucket of water overnight to ensure they have all of the water they need. Sometimes they can get dry sitting in a pot at a garden center and only watered with a sprinkler.
Secondly hardy garden mums in USDA Hardiness zone 5 like at least 6 hours of sun a day.
Hardy garden mums make great plants for flower bed corners and mixed in with other perennials. You can keep them short by pinching them once a week mid-spring until July 4 weekend to keep them bushy.
I let mine grow tall so they are easier to cut for flower arrangements.
More hardy garden mums starting to bloom. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)
Why Plant Hardy Garden Mums
There are many reasons I plant mums. First they are a natural bug repellent. As a matter of fact many of the “safe” bug sprays are made from pyrethrin which is “eau de mum.”
Secondly, hardy garden mums are easy to grow once they are established. It’s better to buy them in spring if you can find them but most hardy garden mums are available for purchase in the fall. If you plant in fall, plan to give them a gallon of water a month through winter to help their roots get established. If you can mulch with leaves or wood chips that will help protect them as well.
Finally I love having mums because they are one of the longest-lasting cut flowers. As the growing season wanes, having blooming hardy garden mums provides a source of fresh flowers easily through the holidays.
I keep small fresh flower bouquets in several spots around my house. In the photo, besides mums there are pink vincas, red yarrow, dark pink geraniums, yellow mums and blue lavender.
