Festive Fall Flowers And Décor
Fall Floral Décor: Mums, Pumpkins, and Gourds
Mums are synonymous with fall. There’s nothing more charming than a front porch or window box decorated with colorful potted mums (in all our favorite autumnal hues—burgundy, yellow, orange, cream and purple). And, of course, we cannot forget well-placed gourds and a fat pumpkin!
So, why chrysanthemums (“mums” for short)? They actually prefer the cooler autumn temperatures and are practically impervious to frost. The chrysanthemum is a member of the Asteraceae family and, if tended to properly (and depending on when and where they are planted), will bloom year after year. When planted in the ground, and if given time to establish good roots, hardy mums will bloom the following year and are known as perennials. Chrysanthemums are actually both annuals and perennials—some come back each year while others do not. Mums also help to repel bugs as they contain a chemical called pyrethrum.
Take Your Décor to the Next Level
- For the extra festive plant lover, you can place your mums within a pumpkin—a mumkin! The easiest way is to hollow out the pumpkin of choice and gently sit the potted plant inside. If you’re really ambitious, you can actually fill the pumpkin shell with soil and plant the mum directly inside.
- Place the mums on stairs. Whether on your front porch steps or on something you’ve fashioned, nothing shows off your autumn blossoms than a stair-step effect. If you’re creating your own stairs, there’s nothing better than wooden crates or apple boxes.
- Use unique containers such as buckets and barrels for a rustic look or, if you’re feeling really crafty, wrap your pot in a burlap sack or with twine for a shabby chic vibe. If you’d rather take a sophisticated approach to decorating with mums (rather than rustic, cozy, and folksy), place your flowers in a stately silver urn (a champagne bucket works great for this).
- Use a monochromatic color scheme. This is a great opportunity to paint your pumpkins and gourds. Pick one color and go with it or simply use all orange hues.
- You may rather paint quirky little ghoulish faces on pumpkins and gourds for a little early Halloween fun!
Accent Your Potted Mums
Plant other fall-blooming favorites to compliment your mums.
- Ornamental pansies and violas will actually bloom for months and months when planted in the fall. They’re colorful, velvety, and surprisingly sturdy.
- Cabbages and kale: there’s nothing lovelier than an ornamental cabbage or flowering kale in a fall garden. Their leaves are not completely green but white, pink, and purple. Although they are technically edible, they’re bred for beauty and not taste.
- Purple Fountain Grass: this plentiful accent is the perfect companion for your fall flowers. Known for its “slender burgundy leaves and purplish spikes,” this grass is a great landscaping embellishment.
- Asters are the sweetest little star-shaped flower and attract pollinators (bees and butterflies). They are also one of September’s birth flowers.
For more information on topics mentioned in this blog, consult the websites listed below:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chrysanthemum/annual-vs-perennial-mums.htm
https://gardensupplyco.com/category/journal/2017/10/5/mumkin-sD1ul
https://acultivatednest.com/decorating-with-mums/
https://www.thespruce.com/ornamental-cabbage-and-flowering-kale-1402853
https://www.almanac.com/plant/asters
#chelseaflowers_london #chelseaflowers #flowers #OnTheBlog #fallflowers #mums #chrysanthemums #pumpkinsandgourds #chelseaflowers