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| Dendranthema 'Bolero' |
Really, if you think about fall flowers, mums really are up there at the top of the list, especially if you live where I do, in the Midwest, where fall means that summer's over and it's just a matter of time before winter comes knockin' with it's snow and ice. Asters are fabulous too, but mums have many more colors and forms to choose from.
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| Chrysanthemum 'Matchsticks' |
We're talking garden mums here - the ones that are hardy to my Zone 5b - not the florist mums, which aren't. So if you want your mums year after year, make sure you're buying garden mums. Ask the garden center if you aren't sure.
I'm still pondering how I'll use mums to perk up our autumn landscaping, but I think I know what I'll do. My idea is practical and simple, but will really do a lot to change things from a summer to fall look.
I'll bet you're kind of wanting to do something at your place too, aren't you? Lowe's gave me $50 to buy some mums, and they want to give one lucky reader a $50 gift card so they can get some, too. So, here we go...
To enter to win a $50 Lowe's gift card, you must do TWO things:
1. Leave a comment here on this blog post, telling me what your favorite fall flower is. No, you're not required to say, "MUMS!" but if that IS your favorite, tell me!
2. Fill out the Rafflecopter form below with your contact information.
That's it. Just do those two things and you're entered. The giveaway will end next Sunday night, September 30, 2012, at midnight, EDT.
By that time, I hope my husband and I are grandparents. (Please, Hannah? Won't you please make your grand entrance into the world?) But that's another story for a future post. (Can you tell we're excited a little bit? And impatient?)
A little later this week, I'll post photos of what I did with some mums here at Our Little Acre. In the meantime, check out the mums and other great fall flowers at Schedel Arboretum and Gardens in Elmore, Ohio, from an early October visit I made back in 2007.
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| Schedel Arboretum and Gardens, October 2007 |
"Bejeweled"
46 comments:
I *love* the montauk daisy! It starts blooming in the fall and is my favorite fall flower :)
Oh my, I love the arboretum/garden pic - so beautiful. In my yard, my favorite is the autumn sedum. They bloom for such a long time, the buds starting green & slowly turning pink, to rose, to dark red then rust after frost. They are so beautiful & very easy to grow.
I do love mums, but I've also been intrigued with combos I've seen in containers using what normally would be planted as perennials, e.g. Little Bluestem and coral bells. I used to get a kick out of some folks that lived across from the football stadium up at Iowa State University--they had hoops planted amidst their mums and should snow or frost threaten, protected their cardinal and gold (school colors) mums until the last game!:)
I do love Mums too, I was just looking at them at the store with my daughter. Granparents! How exciting for you. Congrats
I really do love mums for fall. I bought several at lowes last year and planted all in the ground and I can't tell you how beautiful they are right now. Im also intrigued with spider Lillie's. I love how they pop up wherever. Love your little acre. Sharon
I'm a viola and pansy girl! In SC, I start getting a little antsy when September comes along, because the garden looks so tired. I count the days until October--usually no earlier than October 10--when I can plant out the pansies and violas. This year, I tried to start some heirloom pansies from seed, but I can't keep the greenhouse cool enough to germinate them. Ah well, there's nothing better than the rows and rows of cute little pansy faces to choose from at the nursery! Best wishes to your family on your grandbaby--hope she makes an appearance soon! ;-)
I like Mums but my favorite right now are the Japanese Anemones.What a beautiful display of color at the Schedel Arboretum.
I think I go with the seasons- crocuses in the Spring because they are first then bleeding hearts in the late Spring are so pretty- I loved our giant sunflower this summer-now on to the Mums!
vickie
Hi Kylee;
We have a lot of shade that I started growing ferns in and found that the Toad Lillies are looking great there right now as fall is begining in our central Ohio garden. I love the look of mums and had some come back that I planted last fall but they have not quite bloomed yet. More mums from Lowes might convince me differently but the Toad Lillies are my favorite for right now. We'll be prayin' for a speedy & healty delivery for Hannah!
Gary & Jenny
Beautiful pictures!
Name on rafflecopter: Mary Happymommy
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
Beautiful mums=fall. Hope the baby comes soon!
I'm not sure it qualifies as a true flower, but I love flowering kale.
My favorite fall flower is caryopteris (blue mist shrub) but I also love sedums, asters, and helianthus.
thanks, livivua
yes.4eva.r@gmail.com
Here in AZ it is finally cooling off to grow so I would say geraniums, pansies, and mums :) mrskellyg at gmail dot com
Love the pic!
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
Witch hazel!
Love the fall color!
I had to think real hard about this question. I love the hardy fall anemones. BUT, the plants I most enjoy are the ornamental grasses - all types. They really spring to life in the cool weather.
BTW, Happy Grandparents Day
OH no no no - mt favorite is my American Beautybush. I know it blooms in summer, but the blueish purple berries are so cool right now.
~Rebecca
mikereb1998@yahoo.com
(forgot that last comment)
My favorite fall flower is the mums. They just make me smile when I look at them with their cherry little faces.
It has to be mums because they are so colorful!
I have to say Asters for me. Mostly because I get to see the bees and butterflies getting the last of the food they need.
Have to agree on the Montauk Daisies. They create such a mass of happy daisy faces so late in the season that they've made me smile at the display.
linda g.
I love montauk daisies, and sheffies, and mums, but today I think my favorites are asters.
i love Mums because of the beautiful colors! Thank you for the giveaway
entered on rafflecopter as Amanda Sakovitz
pokergrl8 at gmail.com
I have never seen a matchstick mum like that - love it!
Visiting you from The Impatient Gardener's blog roll.
thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com
I'm very jealous of your flowers! We are planning on putting our house on the market sometime in the next 3-6 months and have been working on our yard all summer to give it more curb appeal. We put bushes in front, but I wish we had some colorful welcoming flowers like this!
jjak2003 at gmail dot com
i love the daisy and mums because they are so colorful
My favorite fall flower is actually plumbago!
msrobin58@insight.rr.com
In the fall I love when my pineapple sage starts to bloom. It gaurantees that the hummingbirds will keep coming around for just a while longer. As for mums, I don't have to wait until the Fall to enjoy them. They tend to bloom twice a year, as long as I remember to deadhead them and cut them back! My favorite area is where I have mums that peek out from under the vigorous growing sweet potato vine along the side of my house!
I agree with you. Mums signals fall. But honestly I love the color combinations of mums and its variety.
I have to say my favorites (yes two) are the butterfly ginger I overwinter in the ground with bags of leaves over them and the moonflower vine which are side by side. Both bloom very late in the season and love the white blooms and to sit on my porch is heaven, it smells WONDERFUL!
Pansy :)
family74014 at gmail dot com
I like pansies and snap dragons around here in the fall!
My favorites are the purpley mums. Thanks for the giveaway.
Mums are my favorite fall flower, followed by ornamental cabbage. Mums remind me of my mom who had planted lots around our house when I was growing up. they are welcome color in the fall.
Those are such nice pictures! I like Geraniums and Snapdragons a lot, but there really isn't any kind of flower I don't like! Thanks for the contest.
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
Just want to say how much I enjoy your blog!!! I'm new here, but plan on staying :))) My favorite fall flower is for sure "MUMS". I'm from the Western NY area and everywhere you look...they are popping up. Thanks for hosting your giveaway!!! Michelle mkg211@aol.com
I like the montock daisy and wild blue asters. also bushes of yellow sunflowers. I don't know the dame but stamd about 4-5 feet high when they aren't laying down, bushy and a number of flowers on each stem.
they look like a yellow daisy, yellow center. the bees and butterflies love them. If you know the name, please forward it.
Thanks so much for the chance! Love your photos -- they are so life-like and colorful. I love snapdragons! :)
deeg131 at gmail dot com
I hope I'm not too late to put my name in the drawing, Kylee! And I hope that new grandbaby has made an appearance by now--how exciting!
Well, I like stonecrop, which is a sedum.
I love mums but my favorite fall flower is tricrytis (toad lily). I just wish they would bloom a little earlier.
I love mums but my favorite fall flower is tricrytis (toad lily). I just wish they would bloom a little earlier.
Kristen S. is the lucky winner! She has been notified and she has responded with her information.
Thanks to everyone who entered and shared your favorite fall flowers. Some of your favorites are also my favorites, especially those toad lilies (Tricyrtis sp.)!!
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