Mums

I wait for this all year! Fall is my favorite season, and it is kicked off with my mums blooming! They are so big this year, the one of the left obviously gets more water, it is 3 times as big as the other one. I'll split the big one into 3rds this year, and plant it around the other side of the house.

I love mums, I've planted them before at a different house. They are so easy to care for, just prune once a year and water. They look nice and green all summer, even in the heat, and come fall when everything else has lost its color....BOOM. We have fuchsia/purple.

So if you get a mum to decorate your porch this year (I just picked one up for $3.99), don't throw it away when the blooms die...plant it...it is hardy and easy to care for, and gives you rewards the next year. Another similar flower is the Aster, it has a more delicate flower, is also very hardy. So if you get a mum this year, remember to plant well before the ground freezes so it has time to take root. It may not bloom the year after planting....but you never know....Mine did!