MUMS- Autumn Colors

With the temperatures starting to decrease, I am seeing the flowers and grass, starting to come alive again.  This was a wicked summer for plants, it was brutally hot, there were high winds and to top it off, little precipitation.  I am sure many of us experienced water bills that made your head spin.  But in the last couple of weeks, we are experiencing great temperatures, the downside, fall and winter is on its way.  I know I live in snow country and we have the "Greatest Snow on Earth" at least that is what our license plates say, HAHA!  Don't get me wrong I enjoy the snow as it is a time to organize the house since I don't bother with it during the summer, I would rather be outside.
So as I look at the flowers outside, I notice my Mums starting to come alive, they are a fall plant and look forward to this time of year.  The nice thing about Mums is they have nice green foliage throughout the summer and now they are starting to bud flowers.  They are really easy plants to tend to, little maintenance.

Mum with buds ready to burst

The buds are starting to open

1. The Mum comes in beautiful Autumn colors such as yellow, maroons and orange, there are other colors but these are my favorites which add to your flower beds. 
2. Mums are perennials so they will come back year after year.  Usually after a couple frosts if they are still standing I cut them back about a 1/2 inch above the ground, and they are ready for the next season.
3. Where can you find Mums in the Francis, Utah area?  Home Depot http://www.homedepot.com/, Wal-Mart http://www.walmart.com/,  Kamas Valley Nursery http://actionsnowplow.com/nursery.html, or any other local nursery.  If you travel to Salt Lake, Lowes http://www.lowes.com/ may have them as well. 
4.  When you plant Mums, they like to be planted in the morning so they can have the whole day of sun.
5. Mums do not require a large quantity of water, rather watering them every other day is fine, and in cooler temps you could go to every third day.  Check your soil and ensure you have good drainage.
6.  I would fertilize them at least once a month.
7.  Mums also make great plants for the pots, next to your front door or patio.

Easy, colorful plant that comes back year after year.

The Mum is full color