We’re in the fall season and it’s time for a great colorful duo of plants. Today Southern Gardening is at Pine Hills Nursery enjoying the colorful fall mums and marigolds, also called mari-mums. Fall mums, short for Chrysanthemum, are a stress-free way to add color to the fall landscape. It’s easy to see why as there are more flowers than you could possibly count. The selection of colors can almost seem limitless, from rustic earth tones to bright and cheery pastels. Choosing fall mums in full flower will have an instant impact for any autumn get together or event. However, I like to select plants that still have tight buds and are just starting to show color. This increases the period of showy display as the buds begin to open in the garden. There’s been a long-standing practice in the southern states of planting marigolds for the fall season. This is due to their non-stop color display of earthy and warm colors that are perfect for any autumnal decoration and display. Fall planted marigolds also have a special name, mari-mums. I like them because their color last longer than the garden mums. There are a couple of types that are perfect for the fall landscape. My favorites are the French marigolds with autumnal colors on single and double flowers. The other type is the African marigold. The double flowers look like colorful yellow and orange poms-poms in the garden. Adding fall mums and mari-mums to your landscape will create a bright color splash. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman and I’ll see you next time on Southern Gardening.
