Every year late in the summer the garden centers around here put out the fall mums, and some of them are outstanding. My wife always gets one for a gift and then later in the fall we buy a few more just because we feel sorry for them ( and they are marked down). If we neglect watering them, well, they just die. But if we do good we are left wanting to save them for blooming next year.
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One thing to remember about mums is they need A LOT of water. Water them at least once a day. When the blooms fade and turn brown you can pick them off and encourage the plant to put on more blooms.
There are a couple of ways to save a mum. You can bring them inside after they get a couple of light frosts on them that kills the top, but does not freeze the roots. Leave them in the container and bring them inside to keep the roots alive until spring. Don't forget to keep them moist.
The other way is to set them out in your garden. The tops will die, but if you get them out in time to naturalize to the garden soil before they die back, the mums will probably come right back in the spring. Mums are pretty expensive when they are fully bloomed out in containers, but this way you can enjoy them again next year.
Types of Mums
You will probably see mums that don't even look like mums, at least the kind you are familiar with. Here's a list of some of the kinds you may see for sale.
Reflex
Reflex mum varieties produce medium to large blooms. Petals curve downward and overlap to resemble the pattern of bird feathers. Growing on medium-sized plants, popular reflex varieties include Doreen Statham, John Lowry and White City.
Decorative
Decorative mums, which grow on short plants, produce flattened, open blooms. Petals on decorative mum varieties extend in two directions, with upper petals curving in and upward while lower petals extend outward. Commonly used in cut flower arrangements, decorative mum varieties include Indian Summer, Killeen, Resomee and Tobago.
Pompon
Pompon mums are another cut-flower arrangement favorite, producing sprays of delicate, compact blooms. Ranging in size from 1 to 4 inches, pompon mum cultivars include Lavender Pixie, Moonbeam and Yoko Ono.
Single and Semi-Double
Single and semi-double mums resemble daisies, sporting compact, center discs surrounded by one or more rows of extending ray florets. Some popular single and semi-double mum varieties include Domingo, Icy Island, Peggy Stevens and Rage.
Anemone
Anemone mums produce blooms with extended rows of ray florets surrounding a raised, globular center. Useful for outdoor beauty and cut flower arrangements, anemone mum varieties such as Cloverlea Sunshine, Purple Light, Shock and Vesuvio provide color and interest.
Spoon
Spoon mums, similar to semi-doubles, have several rows of ray florets with a flat center disc, growing on tall plants. The petals on spoon mums, however, end with a spoon-shaped curve. Some popular spoon mum varieties are Fantasy, Kimie and Redwing.
Quill
Quill mums offer decorative blooms filled with spiky, tubular florets that end with the curved spoon shape or a downward curl. Quill mum varieties include King's Delight, Lola, Seatons Ashleigh and Muted Sunshine.
Spider
Spider mums, also called Fuji mums, produce blooms packed with long, threadlike florets that tend to coil at the ends. Growing on medium plants, spider varieties such as Chesapeake, Fleur De Lis, Icicles and Senkyo Kenshin add exotic beauty to the garden.
Brush/Thistle
Brush and thistle mums are exotic blooms with long, tubular petals that extend upward, in the shape of a broom or brush, or twist and droop. Popular brush and thistle mum varieties include Aoi, Cindy, Cisco and Saga No Yuki.
Descriptions of mums courtesy of Garden Guides website, http://www.gardenguides.com/117942-types-mum-flowers.html
