If you want those old-fashioned chrysanthemums, you should buy young plants at a good nursery in the spring. Grow them in your garden like any other perennial and you will get that loose, floppy look, unless you pinch them. And if you buy at a reputable nursery, they should be hardy in your area.

The plants sold now are pinched heavily for maximum flowers. They are root-bound and where I live they rarely make it thru the winter.

The key is: Buy and plant young mum plants in the SPRING. Ask for varieties that are HARDY in your area.

Try Sheffield's Pink or Emporer of China.

Silvergold--Got any sources? Google shows Sheffield's Pink as a rock band--don't think that's what you meant! And Emperor of China would bring up way too many hits, all of them wrong.

Google "Sheffield's Pink chrysanthemum" without the quotes for many links to that one, and follow the link below to a supplier of the other.

Here is a link that might be useful: Emperor of China Mum

Very helpful--thank you. Now how about this one. It looks like the first chrysanthemum grown successfully in Europe and America was one called 'Old Purple'. I Googled various versions of the name, with and without quotes, but no luck. Any suggestions?

I bought my Emperor of China from Flower Scent Gardens. He was a tiny plant when I planted him this past spring, he his quite bushy now. The owner of Flower Scent Gardens is a great guy. However, his parents recently passed away and he was their caretaker. I don't know if he is doing much this season.

Here is a link that might be useful: Flower Scent Gardens

Flower Scent Gardens is where I purchased both of mine too. I think he is only shipping limited plants this fall. Hopefully he will be back in the spring.

Thompson and Morgan sells seeds for mixed color 30" hardy chrysanthemums. Maybe those will work for you, they're pretty. I have Sheffields Pink and it should bloom this week. I'll take a picture for you. Maureen

Good info--thanks. Still looking for 'Old Purple' tho. OT--Isn't it amazing how many cool nurseries are out there that we might not have discovered without internet garden friends? Thanks again.

Bluestone Perennials has a wide selection of what you describe.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bluestone Perennials

I have about 5 "garden center" mums that come back as perennials for me. They are DEFINITELY loose and natural looking. I pinch them to get more flowers, but not as severely as the garden centers. No ball mums here!

I also have Clara Curtis and Mary Stoker that are more "perennial-like". Clara wanders and spreads a lot where she is. Looks very natural. Mary's newer and so far not as wild.

I got great plants this Spring from Busse Gardens online

Commercially produced mums are also often sprayed with growth regulators, something that will wear off after a while. Truthfully, those mums will not even remotely resemble their pinched and sprayed counterparts after a season in the garden!

You are exactly right this time. I bought a lovely little 10-inch high, 7-inch pot of greenish white cushion mums. This is their third year. They have spread to five 20-inch pots with a height of 4-5 feet. Some stems standing up right. Other stems twist and intertwine like serpents. I cannot think of a place for them in winter.

Hirondelle - I promised I was going to post a picture of Sheffield's Pink mum (at least, I think that's what it is). I realize that's not what you're looking, but since I promised...

Your statement about old-fashioned mums has me intrigued. Now you've got me wanting them! I've looked everywhere on the Web and have gotten a ton of false leads. But I may be back in touch...I don't give up easily. Maureen

Here is a link that might be useful: my mums

Here is an interesting article that lists several taller mums:

http://www.fiskars.com/US/Garden/Dig+In%21/Gardening+Topics/Gardening+Topic+Detail?contentId=87435
Sheffield Pink looks very pretty.
Bobbie

Thanks for the article, Bobbie. That was an interesting read. In the Photo Galleries section, someone from Sunlight Gardens commented that they think my mums are Ryan's Pink. So there's another name to throw in! Mine have a soft cocoa undertone that may not have been clear in the photo. Maureen

i have had wonderful success with mums from Kings mums . they are online.

i see that tony avent at plant delights has Country Girl on sale right now. it is very hardy and lovely.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Delights

momamamo~ Your mums are absolutely gorgeous! I've never seen any grow quite like that!

hirondelle~ I just found a site that might be very useful to you! It's called "Petals from the Past" - www.petalsfromthepast.com

They have the Ryan's Pink ones!

Momamamo's Sheffiel Pinks look so close to the single
Apricot mums that we grow here in southern Maine-- an old daisy-type mum that my grandma always grew. Tall and late,
they always look a little closer to pink than apricot to me.
tony Avent has then. Carroll Gardens too, I think