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Mums the word (at Longwood Gardens)

last year

Our Mum festival officially kicks off on . October first, but here is a sneak peak at some of the beauties that are already on display. (Confession: I never liked Mums until I worked at Longwood and saw all the different varieties. These are not your average porch plants!)

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Comments (17)

Jilly
last year
Jo, wow! Those are so beautiful, I’ve never seen any like them!

What is this on the obelisk?

Thank you for sharing these … I want some for my yard. Off to research. :)
Ally De
last year
I'm hoping to make a trip to see the holiday display this year. You work in a stunningly beautiful place.
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Comments (11)
actually this is not a "replacement" for sepos's previous kop mall shows. sepos would probably still have the mall show, if the mall did not impose unreasonable charges. this is more of a merging of the sepos show and the international orchid show that longwood held last year (also organized by sepos). last year was the first year, and sepos and longwood are hoping to make it bigger and better every year. current vendor list: A&P Orchids - Swansea, Massachusetts Andy's Orchids - Encinitas, California Celebrate Orchids - Encinitas, California Create-A-Scene - Malvern, Pennsylvania Ecuagenera - Cuenca, Ecuador Fishing Creek Orchids - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania H&R Nurseries - Waimanalo, Hawaii JustPat Orchids - Honey Brook, Pennsylvania Kelly's Korner Orkid Supplies - Kittery, Maine Lois Duffin Orchids - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Miranda Orchids - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Parkside Orchid Nursery - Ottsville, Pennsylvania Stony Brook Orchids - Pennington, New Jersey The 5 Senses = West Chester, Pennsylvania The Orchidphile - Stamford, Connecticut Waldor Orchids - Linwood, New Jersey Woodstream Orchids - Huntingtown, Maryland additional info can be found here: http://www.sepos.org/longwoodshowindex.htm http://www.sepos.org/2007%20longwood%20aos%20ad2.pdf SPREAD THE WORD!!! :)
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how do I save my mums?
Q
Comments (17)
I am wondering about the chewing on the Crysanthemums too. In 40 years of gardening, I have never had anything chew my Mums. I was thinking perhaps it might be something like a rabbit or gopher. The pesticide Pyrethrum is made from Crysanthemums, so I would think insects would steer clear of them.....Hmmm. I have a native Hibiscus that I keep hidden behind some other plants(ugly foliage) especially for the catepillars to chew, They love it and leave other plants alone mostly. I enjoy the Swallowtails and they enjoy the Hibiscus
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Mums the word
Q
Comments (3)
Yes, it's true! Stuff a stem in the ground and keep watered and you will get a new plant. I have started hundreds in my yard that way. I keep them trimmed down in the spring so they bloom in the fall and it's the spring trimmings that I use to start new plants (but you can do it at any time with mums). I used them to fill in my beds until my other perennials grew up. I have some started that way that after a couple years, almost qualify as bushes because they are so big. I have removed a lot of them since but the ones that are left the my main fall color in the beds. The nicest thing about garden mums is that you can trim, cut, divide, or move them almost any time of year and they just keep thriving!
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Anyone know this 'old fashioned' mum?
Q
Comments (32)
Dee -- the clear plastic knife rules me out as the source. I don't think I've ever used that method of marking plants, even on the day of the swap. Are the ones you have single or double? Mine are most definitely single blossoms. Very daisy-like. And still going strong -- I LOVE them! (As an added plus ... the ones in the picture were cut 10 days ago, and look like they just came in from the yard today.) Jaynine -- I'd seen the photos of Cambodian Queen (and now have to have it!) but from the photo, there's more pink in it than mine have. Mine (the petals) are very distinctly part white, part very soft pink (at the tips, maybe half the petal is pink in tone, from nearly white to a soft lavendar-pink at the tip), the rest of the petals are all white. That's why I ended up with a deduction (nothing more than that) of Venus (Pink). All I know is that now that I've seen these other photos, my goal is a BIG mixed bed of hardy mums for NEXT fall -- from Cambodian Queen to the dark pink J. C. Weigelan.
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mtnrdredux_gw
last year
Ahh yes, mums. The "sorry, summer is over, take these and be happy they are blooming" flower. Of course Longwood makes even mums look appealing!

The spidery ones, the pom pom ones. Gorgeous. Didn't see those at Lowe's
czarinalex
last year
Just breathtaking. You are indeed fortunate to work surrounded by such beauty!
deegw
last year
last modified: last year
I've given up on mums, mine NEVER looked like that. Thanks for posting the pictures!
nekotish
last year
What gorgeous mums! Definitely not your garden store variety.
Tina Marie
last year
You may have converted me. @jojoco would you be able to tell me the name of that first mum? The pink spidery one? Thanks!!
lisaam
last year
Thanks, Jojo, this is a pleasure to see. those shaggy pink ones are so funny, lime characters out of Fantasia.

I keep thinking about coming to Longwood, or even the much closer Lewis Ginter, but regular life keeps getting in the way. Must make a plan now.
Arapaho-Rd
last year
Mums have never been a favorite - maybe because of when they are offered at the end of summer beginning of fall. But i must say, that is a gorgeous display of varieties I've never seen and would love to buy! Thx Jo!
OutsidePlaying
last year
last modified: last year
Those feathery, spidery ones make me want to buy mums again. So beautiful, jojoco, and thanks for sharing the photos.
Tina Marie
last year
@Jilly I think it is mums!? Look at the leaves.
eld6161
last year
Thanks for sharing, Jojo
Jilly
last year
Thanks, Tina! I didn’t look close enough. :D
Kswl
last year
I don’t even like mums and those pictures are fabulous! And I did not realize you could train mums to trail. Those hanging baskets are something I’ve never seen.
Gargamel
last year
I might become a convert 😍
jlsch
last year
Just beautiful! The gardens look so stunning. Lucky you to work there!
Annie Deighnaugh
last year
last modified: last year
Just beautiful.

You reminded me of one year so many years ago, Dad told me he went to the public gardens and watched one of the gardeners pruning the mums and he saw where he threw the clippings. Dad went and salvaged a bunch, brought them home, rooted them and then tended them and tied them along the fence. The plants grew to be about 5' tall and bloomed with the giant pom pom mums. They were stunning. Like this one...6" across.

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