It’s chrysanthemum season at last! Of all the fall symbols, mums might just be my favourite. They’re the perfect flower for ringing in the new season, even when it’s a little early for pumpkins, and they’re so versatile for decorating the home and landscape. However, if working from home and the back-to-school insanity has tapped all your creative juices, these design tips are for you. By borrowing a few foolproof design principles, you can give your home a fall makeover that will have both you and the space feeling refreshed. But first, here are a few important FAQs about fall mum care!
Q: What are some tips for buying healthy mums?
A: In addition to the usual checks you would apply to buying any plant (like ensuring the plant material looks healthy, there are no signs of disease, and looking for vibrant flower and foliage colour), choose mums with as many closed buds as possible. If you pick up chrysanthemums that have all opened, they may look amazing when you bring them home, but the blooms will fade much quicker. Choosing mums with lots of closed buds will ensure you’ve got lots of new blooms to enjoy throughout the season!
Q: How do you take care of fall mums?
A: While mums love the crisp temperatures of fall, they still need plenty of sunlight! Plant mums in a full-sun location, but be mindful that your yard’s sunny spots have likely moved from where it used to hit in early summer. If repotting in another container, plant in a pot the next size up from the nursery pot. After replanting, give your mums a nice drink, and when the top three inches of soil have dried out, give them about an inch of water. Cover mums overnight if there’s a risk of frost—it usually shows up toward the end of September here in Guelph, but it doesn’t hurt to check the forecast!
Q: How do you keep mums blooming all fall?
A: Deadheading your mums daily will help to encourage the plant to bloom continuously as long as possible. However, selecting a plant with as many closed buds as possible is your best bet for the longest possible blooming period.
Now for the fun stuff! Here are some tips for using these fall flowers to create a perfectly autumnal display in your landscape.
Go Crazy with Colour
We don’t just love mums because of the sheer number of blooms they produce—we love them because of their incredible jewel colours! If you peruse our selection at Royal City Nursery, you’ll see a lot of eye-popping yellows, oranges, golds, reds, and intense purples. These colours work beautifully together, so don’t limit yourself to just one. Choosing two of the four shades of mums to arrange together adds depth to your display and instantly captures the spirit of fall.
Have Fun with Height
This design principle is key when working with mums. Since many of the pots are the same size and shape, the best way to add more dimension to your display is to play around with different heights. For example, you can pot some mums in a tall urn, then set a smaller terracotta pot down next to it, and stack a few more pots on a nearby bench. Or, use wood stumps, crates, or your front steps to add tiers of colour to your design.
Play with New Pairings
Mums look great on their own, but they also complement other fall favourites beautifully. Think of cool-weather flowers like asters, pansies, and violas. Ornamental kale, ornamental cabbage, fountain grasses, and trailing ivy are also excellent ways to add contrasting textures and tones.
Get Creative with Containers
Mums are practically made for containers! In addition to the above fall-friendly plants, you can use all kinds of fun stuff to get crafty with decorating your arrangements. As we get deeper into fall, try adding mini craft pumpkins to cover the soil, or decorate pots and urns with burlap bows. Lanterns are also a big trend for fall 2020, so try incorporating lanterns and LED candles into your container design or fall vignette.
Complement and Contrast
Using the principles of the colour wheel is a great way to help your design stand out. Start by taking stock of your house colour. If your home is a warm tone that echoes the colours of your mums, like yellow, gold, or red, try using contrast to help the mums pop. For instance, you can use a container in a vibrant shade of royal blue that will instantly draw the eye to your arrangements.
On the other hand, if your home is a cooler shade, like grey, blue, or green, you can play up the fall tones to complement the mums. You can do this by adding a fall wreath to your door that matches the colours of your mums or using warm-toned containers with materials like copper, wicker, terracotta, or wood.
Mums aren’t just for the porch! They’re also fabulous for dressing up your interior design for fall. Here’s how to make them work for you.
Tinker with Textures
Colours are important for interior decor, but a variety of textures is what makes a design look high-end. Look for natural materials in neutral colours to enhance the fall aesthetic your mums bring to your home. Think wicker or canvas baskets, wooden furniture, wool blankets, and leather accents. These decor elements are timeless investments that look great with mums—and any other fall plant or flower, for that matter. Furthermore, they can be easily transitioned into your winter decor.
Front & Centre
The most impactful areas to place your mums indoors are your table and your entryway. Mums make excellent centrepieces, either as potted plants or in cut arrangements. They’re also perfect for dressing up a sunny entryway; there’s nothing like being greeted by a big mound of fresh flowers after a long day!
“Prettify” Your Pots
Whether you choose to repot your mums or not, a plastic pot just doesn’t do chrysanthemums any justice. The advantage of plastic is that it’s lightweight, which is ideal for an indoor annual you may choose to move around a few times. Dress your mums up while keeping them lightweight by hiding the pot in something fun, like a basket or craft pumpkin! Per my tip about “tinkering with texture,” wicker and canvas baskets make beautiful pot covers for your mums, and it’s easy to swap them in and out according to your mood.
As we get closer to Thanksgiving and Halloween, you can cut the top off of a large craft pumpkin and hide some more mums inside. Craft pumpkins can also be painted with a layer of Mod Podge and some acrylic paint. Adding ¼ cup of baking soda to each cup of paint gives the finish a soft, clay-like texture that looks very modern.
Now, how excited are you to get autumn-ready? You can pick up your fall mums today at Royal City Nursery—you’ll “fall” in love with the colours we have this year!
