Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Mum's The Word

I have been trying for years to cut back on my mum consumption, and I think this year I have taken a few steps forward.  I have only bought one so far Hannah Orange (Early).  It is that big ball of pinched blooms that almost doesn't look real, but it is the color of pumpkins so I couldn't resist.


Hannah Orange Mum with Carex grass and Vera Jameson Sedum


Cabbages, Pansies and Violas in the Shed Hayracks


Pansies by the veggie garden, clip off wilting flowers to keep them going throughout the fall.  I have added a little slug bait to the pots because the slugs love to eat pansies and mums.


Instead of mums I have put in more cabbages of various colors, grasses (on sale), violas and pansies.  More and more rudbeckias are coming on the market for fall planting, long lasting and sometimes return if planted in the garden.  Pansies are also a good filler for containers, however, I have learned through the years that if they are too small they don't have the time to mature in the colder climates.


I kept the Rush Mohawk Blue from the summer and added a faux pumpkin and willow branches.


As I ready my containers for fall I am surprised by Pink Promise Rose, a Rose of the Year a few years ago.  It has never looked like this and each year I consider pulling it out because it has never been really pink, plagued by rose midge and Japanese beetles just not a keeper.  It is very tall, a hybrid tea, and always wondered where it belongs.  It is fragrant and I guess it is telling me it belongs here!


Boltonia Pink Beauty is another surprise this year, looking more dainty than ever such a delight in a late summer garden!

 
Violas will fill out quickly if you deadhead the faded ones, a little slug bait and some liquid fertilizer, not super bloom this time of year.


Swiss Chard, Violas and Pansies
If you plant too late in the colder zones the plants will not have a chance to mature and fill out the containers.

I found a dwarf Sedum Sieboldi that looks like Vera Jameson and works well as a spiller and blooms a littler later.  These will come back if planted in the garden before the ground freezes.


Dwarf Sedum Seiboldi

Cabbages with Red Mustard, Pansies and Sedum.  I left the Euphorbia Diamond Frost for now but I may change this out, not sure it will look right with gourds and pumpkins.

The Cordyline and Dracena have been saved from the summer, faux autumn leaves with rudbeckia, cabbages and pansies.

Who am I kidding, I know I will buy a few more mums for the front garden!

Well, I did it Bronze Mums and a White Aster.  I do not have room in my garden to winter over mums and asters so I am not too concerned about my mum buying this year, three mums and one aster.

Please don't count the cabbages, pansies violas mustard and swiss chard!  However, all of the aforementioned do last longer than mums!

40 comments:

Beth said...

I love your fall garden, Eileen. The sedum with the pink flowers is beautiful. I love the color combinations with the pumpkins, cabbages, violas etc. Very nicely done.
Beth

Jennifer@threedogsinagarden said...

Hi Eileen, I cringed a little and then bought mums too. It is not that there is anything wrong with mums, its just it is the same old, same old. It is rather like wearing an old dress. There is nothing wrong with it, other than you are tired or bored with it. Though they are nothing new, cabbages and pansies don't provoke that same feeling. I wonder why that is? Your fall containers plantings look terrific. I wish I was half as good at it!

Kit Aerie-el said...

Wow, so beautiful! I just bought a container of gorgeous maroon mums at Costco today. I think they perk up the fall grays around here.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

Your containers and plantings are inspiring! Now that it feels like fall is really here I'm ready to start some fall planting. Your post gave me an idea for what to do with all of the Kale I just started, add them to containers!

allanbecker-gardenguru said...

Thanks for Sedum sieboldi. I find it very helpful to learn about a new late bloomer.

Karen said...

Eileen, if anyone will have a gorgeous fall display this year, you will! I love your planters which are so pretty now, but just wait until they bloom. I had some garden visitors here tonight who said they follow your blog because they learn so much from you and take copious notes on your plant selections. I was so glad to hear that, because I do the same thing!

Gloria Bonde said...

Eileen, your garden is so beautiful!

Fishtail Cottage said...

Wow - what a lovely fall garden! so much going on!!!! Mum's here rarely make it through winter! Evey year - i give them "one more try" & it fails miserably! xoox

Mary Anne said...

Mums the flower!!! Color is what I needed and I am on number 4 in those purchases! I need more!!

Thanks for a great Fall post!!

Mary Anne

Landscaping_Katy said...

You've got an interesting mix of cabbage plants, and dainty blooms in your garden and landscape as a whole. And it looks like your rose is begging for you to keep. Hope you give it another chance :)

Diana LaMarre said...

I am loving the entire Hannah orange planting. What a great idea to use Vera Jameson Sedum as a spiller! If I get out this weekend and see a big orange Mum, I may have to buy it. I was not planning to buy any until I saw your planting!

As always you do a great job desiging your planters.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Eileen girl you are way ahead of me .. I haven't sorted out how I will do the front entrance yet .. I have lots of the pretty kale and the mystery ornamental grass .. and a BIG pot of dark mums (love the dark against the light gray here) BUT wow !! you are on your game lady and I might have to do something about me now ? LOL
beautiful displays as ever : )
Joy

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Thanks Beth,

I love the sedums this time of year. I wish I had room for more.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Jennifer,

My husband thinks mums are a waste of money for such a short bloom time. Years ago I didn't do much for the fall, maybe some cornstalks, pumpkins and a mum. Now it seems fall decor is over the top for such a short period.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Aerie-el,

I haven't been to Costco in a few weeks. They always have huge mum plants, always wondered how I would get them home.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Cathereine,

The Kale is great because it lasts so longer, probably longer in your area. It looks even pretty good when the snow flies and then turns mushy around December.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Allan,

I had not seen this dwarf variety before so I will put it in the garden before it gets too cold.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Thanks Karen,

It's fun knowing that people enjoy our blogs. You will be having visitors until the snow flies.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Tracie,

I have had luck with mums coming back a few times but they take up a lot of room in the garden for a short bloom time. I just keep them in the pots now.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Mary Anne,

Seeing all of those blooms in the fall can be enticing. It is so hard to go from so much color to cabbages and mums.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Katy,

I think I will be keep this rose but I may have to move it as it is so tall.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Zoey,

I wasn't planning on buying any this year either. When I saw them at one of my favorite nurseries I couldn't resist.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Joy,

I bet the dark mums look great with the grey. I saw a purple called Stellar Purple that is later blooming but it wasn't open enough to see the exact coloe.

Eileen

Lona said...

Girl you always have the greatest container displays.The new Mum looks like it is going to be a great color. I have a couple of old Mums that hang around in the garden but my potted ones are getting puny looking. I think I will have to get a couple of new replacements.
I think the Rose is beautiful.

scottweberpdx said...

hahahaha...I'm the same way...as fall approaches, I'm a sucker for anything orange!

Patrick's Garden said...

Your garden looks incredible right now. The Carex works so well with mums and the cabbages knock my socks off.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Lona,

I am looking at that new mum as it opens and it is not how I remember Hannah. Oh well, it is orange.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Scott,

I really have fallen for orange in the garden, even in my front garden this summer. In my book it goes with everything!

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Patrick,

That Carex doesn't even look real but it is and it grows, could be used as a wig!

Eileen

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Hi Eileen! I like the look of your garden, the mix of the autumn plants and the summer plants!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous, just gorgeous! Pansies, petunias, dianthus, mums and the such do well here through the winter..I need to go shopping!

Balisha said...

I love my Mums. Ever since I found Belgian Mums on the internet maybe 3 or 4 years ago...mine have been coming back again and again. They were divided last year and all are doing fine. I only wish that I had picked out an earlier variety. Mine were blooming still when the snow fell last year.
Your fall garden is spectacular.
Balisha

fer said...

Those flowers look great! so many blooms

Andrea said...

You have all the plants i adore, pansies, violas, ornamental cabbages. But even if i am not so much fan of mums, that form is awesome. Did you plant many seedlings of mums in one container to produce that look? Really very beautiful. I also have a question, i thought pansies are also called violas, but this is the 2nd post i read they are different. How are they different, i wonder! They look the same.

Millie said...

Your mum plants are huge!...and will be lovely when in full bloom! I love ornamental cabbages, and you have used them beautifully...

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Hundreds of Ideas,

My fall plantings will not live over the winter but I have friends in the South who have pansies blooming all winter.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Balisha,

I wish I had room in this garden to grow the very hardy mums. I grew some at my last home but I had a very large yard.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Andrea,

Pansies and violas are related, violas being smaller and slower to go to seed. Both must be deadheaded to continue full bloom.

I bought the mums that way from a local nursery, just one mum per container. They are pinched multiple times to achieve that shape, not at all leggy like some mums that I have had.

Eileen

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Eileen you are still leaving me in the dust with decorations girl .. BUT ! I bought a net bag of Baby Boo white pumpkins, the small ones which means I have to start thinking of decorating the kitchen .. my main room in the house because everyone has to be in there at some point ? LOL
Joy : )

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

You have given me such wonderful ideas...a real inspiration. Wow!
I see that I am not the only one that is "wowed" by your gorgeous display! :)