• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Gardening Humor
    • Children’s Books
    • New – The Halloween Hare
  • Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • The Gardenangelists Podcast
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

Defending Mums

September 20, 2010 By Carol Michel 18 Comments

Shocking! Unbeleivable! What is this gardening world coming to!?

Some people do not like mums. How can that be?

Is it the smell? They do have a funny mum smell, but it isn’t that bad.

Is it that they don’t overwinter well? Well, they don’t if you put them in a container now, let them bloom out, and then right before the ground freezes, try to plant them. That will never work!

Instead you should plant them right away, before the buds open up, and let them get established well before the ground freezes. Then once they are done blooming, cover the base with mulch, but do not cut off the stems. Let them go until you see signs of new green growth coming up from the base in the spring, then cut them back.

I’ve grown the same mums, pictured above, for over a dozen years, and even moved them this spring back to a holding bed in the vegetable garden, and they are still doing just fine. And a dozen years is hardly a record for mum longevity.

Is it that mums are everywhere in the fall? Well sure they are! They provide good color now. Nothing wrong with that.

If you’ve turned your back on mums, I think you ought to give them another chance this fall. Really…

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: perennials

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pam's English Garden says

    September 20, 2010 at 3:37 am

    Dxear Carol, I also find it hard to believe some people don't like mums! Yours are particularly fine … a lovely shade of pink. Thank you for the advice on growing them! Pam

    Reply
  2. Dave@TheHomeGarden says

    September 20, 2010 at 3:59 am

    I have no problems with my mum! Er mums! In fact I just bought three more to add to the fall colors.

    Reply
  3. Alea Milham says

    September 20, 2010 at 5:15 am

    When I worked in a flower shop I did not like mums – they were just so common. I also didn't care for roses or carnations. Now that I am a gardener, I love mums and the wonderful fall color they provide!

    Reply
  4. Paul says

    September 20, 2010 at 11:14 am

    I'd not heard of them, but with the shape and colour in your picture, what's not to like?

    Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    September 20, 2010 at 11:40 am

    Hi Carol, we love mums! But not the butterballs you see for sale everywhere, although they have their place, as annuals. The Korean types, like the sheffies, are quite hardy and beautiful. I can't imagine the fall garden without them.
    Frances

    Reply
  6. Gatsbys Gardens says

    September 20, 2010 at 12:25 pm

    I like mums and again I have purchased several. However, I do not have the room in my small garden to winter them over and take the place of several perennials all summer.

    So, for me when I buy them I know I won't be saving more than a couple in the veggie garden.

    Eileen

    Reply
  7. Ginny says

    September 20, 2010 at 12:44 pm

    I have lots of mums with buds ready to pop. I've had them overwinter well in containers if the containers are somewhat protected. I then put them in the ground in the spring. I love mums – and I love the smell! I'm going to put some new ones in the ground this week.

    Reply
  8. Aunt Tina says

    September 20, 2010 at 1:40 pm

    I just bought another one today, though this one is for the fire station. I bought one last year for the front, and they did a good job with it, it's blooming wonderfully. My son even remembered to cut it back in June. But now they need one on the opposite side. They've planted many flowers before but no one has time to properly care for an actual garden so the mums fill in very nicely! I have a few myself, my house rabbits love the flowers as treats!

    Reply
  9. ~ Jackie says

    September 20, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    LOL My niece swears she hates them, yet every fall, her flower beds are bursting with blooming mums!

    Like them or not, you just can't beat that spectacular fall color!

    Reply
  10. Bloomin'Chick Jo says

    September 20, 2010 at 2:40 pm

    Hear Hear! (Or is it Here Here!) I'm about to get my Mum fix this week. Even though they give me a rash. With room in the raised bed, a few will be going right into the ground while others will be placed with pumpkins on the front porch.

    Reply
  11. Elizabeth Barrow says

    September 20, 2010 at 3:16 pm

    Thanks for this post. Sometimes garden people take themselves so seriously! If people like mums in the fall (and I do), whatever is wrong with that?!?

    Reply
  12. Janet/Plantaliscious says

    September 20, 2010 at 3:26 pm

    OK, maybe they are worth a second look, I've certainly always claimed to hate them, they remind me of the sorry offerings on garage forecourts. Then again I used to think I hated Dahlias, and now can't get enough of them, and the photo you posted is beautiful… Thank you for challenging my prejudice!!

    Reply
  13. Mr. McGregor's Daughter says

    September 20, 2010 at 3:55 pm

    I don't like the shape. Something about it irritates me. The daisy-shaped mums like 'Clara Curtis' and 'Sheffield Pink' are ok, but those goofy button ones and those overgrown "football mums" that look like a linebacker on steroids are just too much for me.

    Reply
  14. Anonymous says

    September 20, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    I have to admit to being a mums snob. I use them a lot in client installs in Fall, but I guess I think the smell is what bothers me personally. And the fact that I have to hunt down particular colors for clients, then in Spring the lawn crew WEEDS them out. Rarely do any make it for a second year because they do kinda look like weeds in Spring. Clients and lawn crews give them the heave ho. Cute post though. Good Monday humor.

    Reply
  15. Dee @ Red Dirt Ramblings says

    September 20, 2010 at 7:21 pm

    Some people just think they're overdone. I like them. They are cheerful creatures.~~Dee

    Reply
  16. Lisa Ueda says

    September 21, 2010 at 12:31 am

    Okay you've convinced me, I just might be willing to spring for some, now if you could change my mind on marigolds 😉

    Reply
  17. Rose says

    September 21, 2010 at 2:42 pm

    Thanks for championing the mums, Carol! Without them, I sometimes think I wouldn't have much color in my garden in the fall. And thanks for the planting tips–so you're supposed to plant them before the blooms fade; well, no wonder mine rarely come back in the spring:)

    Reply
  18. chris m. says

    September 22, 2010 at 4:35 am

    Great blog, and good information about growing Mums. In all my years of gardening I've never gotten such clear ideas about why mums don't
    'grow well'.
    I intend to try it myself, Carol.
    Thanks.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,053)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Newsletter Archive

Copyright © 2023 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT