Mum’s the word

Posted on September 26th, 2007 – 8:32 AM
By Jaime Chismar

Orange, red, and fushia — Fall is all about mums. Frost hardy and fool-proof, mums are often the last splash of color before the snow falls. I’m not a big fan of mums in a floral bouquet, but they are stunning paired with decorative kales and grasses in the garden.

According to the U of M Extension Service “In the 1920s, University researchers began selecting and growing mums for their ability to flower before the state’s killing frosts. In the process, they cultivated the oldest public-sector mum breeding program in North America and one of the oldest in the world.”

As my patio plants die off, I find myself with a depressing array of empty patio pots. It would sure feel nice to put on some gardening gloves and plant something new and colorful. Is there someplace in town that has a good selection of mums?

Also, Greengirl reader Rhiannon is looking for a shrub variety called “My Favorite Mum.” Is there some place local she should check out?

When I surf the net I find a lot of information on it, but no retailer information to purchase “My Favorite Mum.” I am sad to say that I am only just hearing about this new Mum after purchasing 30 large “hardy” mums from our local nursery. I appreciate any instight/information anyone can provide on where to find these “monster mums”.

As always, thanks for your help!

4 Responses to "Mum’s the word"

Judy says:

September 26th, 2007 at 10:03 am

Rhiannon, you could check with Faribault Growers for My Favorite Mum. They grow an extensive assortment of mums. A few years ago the U had a mum called Betty Lou that was supposed to grow very big the second year. Could it have been re-named to My Favorite Mum? Faribault Growers website is http://www.faribaultgrowersinc.com. Good Luck!

trudy says:

September 26th, 2007 at 10:08 am

The Web says Monrovia, the wholesalers, sell a variation of these as Mammoth mums. At
http://www.monrovia.com/MonroviaWeb.nsf/8c104835579b67e18825685f006acdf8/36e3a4eb1744778f8825717e0072a68d!OpenDocument
is a find a retailer thingy.

i.marzipan says:

September 26th, 2007 at 11:11 am

I picked up some HUGE mums at the Mpls Farmer’s Market last weekend for $7 each… my arms nearly fell off when I carried them to the car.

Mary Jo says:

September 27th, 2007 at 10:45 pm

The “My Favorite Mum”, developed out of the U of MN has been renamed “Mammoth Mum”. Bachman’s Garden Centers carry these mums, in a variety of colors. Make sure you have the space for them, they really do get upwards to 3′ tall, like a shrub!