HOW TO GROW…

This depends on which type of chrysanth you choose – there are around 500!

● Take cuttings of overwintered old root stock (stools) from February, sow seed indoors in March and plant out mini plugs from May.

● They prefer full sun and shelter in welldrained soil with compost and fertiliser dug in. Specially bred to survive the winter outside and come back the following year without needing to be lifted or stored indoors, they’ll flower in October and November. To ensure you’re getting a truly hardy variety, it’s best to buy from a specialist nursery.

● Some need to be brought inside after the first frosts but fully hardy varieties don’t need cossetting. Look for ‘Mrs Jessie Cooper’ with candy-pink petals and a cheery yellow centre, or ‘Spartan Fire’ with fiery orange, multi-layered petals. As a rule, hardy varieties have smaller blooms and you can safely plant them out now, unless you have a heavy clay soil, in which case grow them in pots, adding fleece if there’s a cold snap.

● Some of the more flamboyant, single bloom chrysanths need extra TLC. Indoor varieties can be grown outside in pots, then lifted and transferred to a conservatory or frost-free greenhouse when the weather deteriorates. Alternatively, remove from pots, cut back green shoots and leaves to 8cm (3in), then put in a shallow tray on top of a 5cm (2in) layer of multi-purpose compost. Cover with a thin layer of compost, keep just moist and plant out in spring.