Mums are the word
As summer marches into autumn, the wondrous chrysanthemum can offer you a riot of colour in your garden into October – so long as you know how to treat this flower right
Every year, when late summer turns into early autumn the changing of the seasons suddenly becomes so apparent. The cooler misty mornings and browning tips of leaves remind me of the transience of nature, the game of growth and decay that makes the cycle of the garden such an exciting spectacle. Autumn is a time where many plants are preparing for the dormant period of winter, stocking up on seeds and preparing for plant hibernation periods under ground. However some plants really come into their own and shine in early autumn and one such plant is the chrysanthemum.
The chrysanthemum is a native of Asia and north-eastern Europe and comes from the Asteraceae family. The flower’s name comes from the Greek word chrysos (gold) and anthemon (flower) and leads back to wild chrysanthemum herbaceous perennials or sun shrubs often being yellow or having yellow accents.
For classification, chrysanthemums are divided into two overall categories: garden hardy and exhibition. As a plant for the garden there are many wonderful varieties and many make a fantastic floral display at this time of year. These are further divided into ten different bloom forms whose variations depend on the arrangement of the florets.
The flower groups hold fascinating names such as spider, thistle, spoon, pom-pom and anemone to name a few. These describe the shape and habit of the flower of each group and there are endless varieties to choose from.
The early chrysanthemum perennial, which is mostly half hardy, often blooms from September to October and is known for its colourful flowers. It is a far showier plant than its wild growing relatives and many of the cultivars available from garden centres are so floriferous in nature that the blooms often obscure the foliage.
The chrysanthemum, particularly in Asia, holds strong symbolism. In China the flower is one of the ‘Four Gentlemen’, plants which represent the four seasons. There the orchid flower represents spring, the bamboo summer, the chrysanthemum autumn, and plum blossom represents winter.
In Japan the chrysanthemum flower is the seasonal flower of the month of September and the flower can be seen represented in the symbol of the Emperor and imperial family. Many will recognise the ‘chrysanthemum crest’, which is the imperial seal of Japan and depicts a beautiful simple design based on the chrysanthemum.
If you want to bring some of the cheerful colour of the chrysanthemum to your garden then here are a few tips. As a general rule, most garden hardy chrysanthemums like a sunny spot and have a hardiness tolerance of about minus 5C. In Ireland we don’t often go below this temperature but the real trial for this plant is too much rain. Grey moulds and fungus rot can destroy these plants very quickly so make sure the soil is well drained.
The flowers enjoy being planted into a nutrient-rich compost and will do best if fed with a good general fertiliser in April. A top-dressing of nitrogen-rich fertiliser in June helps to encourage growth and flowering.
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