Gardening with Micki: Mums a great autumn flower - Muskogee Daily Phoenix

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Updated: September 26, 2022 @ 7:06 am
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I can’t even think about creating an autumn garden without planting Chrysanthemums. I may be a tad tardy for planting, but mums are one of the most dependable flowers. I always wait before planting to see what new colors mum growers have created. I survey garden catalogs and area garden centers just to see what’s new before planting.
This season I’ve found reds, pinks, purples, blues, yellows, oranges, bronzes, golds and a stunning white. The mums’ colors are as fascinating as a kid’s Crayola box. What I like most about mums is their versatility. One garden source calls them “a sun-loving perennial ranging from single petals to petal packed.”
You can also plant mums anywhere in your garden. Unlike some flowers, which may not like the plants growing beside or near them, mums are truly cordial. They seem to get along well with any kind of flowering neighbor. They are also always dependable, blooming at just the right time, as if on cue, to enhance a late fall garden.
Mums also know how to keep their place in the garden. Some plants seem to like to wander around, invading other plants’ territory. English Ivy is the worst! Mums have better manners. They know how to stay in their own territory. They also have an unusual history. They are native to East Asia, Northern Europe and China. Yet they seem right at home in the United States, especially southern areas.
My favorite garden source, “Gardening Made Easy,” suggests “Plan for autumn color spectaculars by pairing late summer bloomers, shrubs, or crisp white hydrangeas with autumn blooming chrysanthemums. Other perfect companions include Artemesia, Asters, Colchicum, Purple Fall Crocus, Dusty Miller, Flowering Kale, Goldenrod, Lamb’s Ears, Purple Fall Crocus and Sedums in purple or white. You’re creating a colorful festival in your own garden.
Just in case you have a tiny space for fall planting, Better Homes & Gardens offers these tips:
• Save seeds in the ground and enjoy a single patch of flowers.
• Sow several packs of different annuals for a tiny flower meadow.
• Shop for smaller versions of larger plants.
• Not enough ground? Plant in big pots and let flowers — even small veggies — climb a trellis.
For a final touch of color, I sneak in a few pansies. Have fun with fall planting.
Micki J. Shelton is a Muskogee native and master gardener.

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