[GPI]

Photo / pic / image of Chrysanthemum X morifolium.
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Chrysanthemum facts and information.

Do you need autumn colour in your garden now, How about autumn colour from a plant that has been cultivated in Chinese gardens for almost 3000 years? That plant is the chrysanthemum.

With over one hundred varieties of chrysanthemum, the colour range and long-flowering ability of this perennial can in itself warrant its inclusion in your garden. Due to the large variety, it is possible to find any combination of height, flower size, timing of bloom and colour (except blue), that you desire. Across the water in Britain, the Chrysanthemum was for many years the second most valued plant with collectors after the rose. Florists have found the chrysanthemum to be a valuable stock item because of their long life span of up to two weeks. If you are not really a gardener and are more of an indoors person, you will delight in plants versatility in brightening up the inside of your home. As well as blooms, the plant offers us fragrance through its aromatic leaves.

However, the “Mums” as some people call them, also have had their knockers. They spent a while during the eighties regarded by many as old-fashioned, high-maintenance and grown by fussy gardeners. Being a child of the eighties, I can clearly remember many novice gardeners producing garish colour combinations with ten or twenty different varieties of Chrysanthemum lumped into one bed. During the nineties, the chrysanthemum put the subject of plant taxonomy and naming under the spotlight. Chrysanthemum was renamed to Dendranthema by the horticultural authorities, only to be officially reversed a short while later. As if we didn’t have enough problems already remembering all our Latin and common names.

Nowadays, gardeners are being drawn back to the Chrysanthemums colour range and rediscovering that the long-flowering ability of this perennial can fill a void in the autumn garden. The moment the blooms of summer begin to wane, chrysanthemums cut in and say, “May I have this dance”. Essentially Chrysanthemums are to autumn what daffodils and tulips are to the spring. Welcoming autumn with open blooms their colours actually improve in cooler weather.

Although chrysanthemums are quite an easy perennial to grow, following a few guidelines will improve their overall look, blooming and growth rate. The vast majority of autumn flowering chrysanthemums grow round, full and bushy to about 20 inches (50cm) in height with a similar spread. They are ideal for planting in cottage or informal style beds and borders. Plant in a sheltered site with fertile well-drained soil that receives full sun. It is important that you water the plants freely in dry weather as chrysanthemums are shallow rooted and acquire all of their water from the top six inches (15cm) of the soil. In coastal areas, you can leave the plant in the ground over-winter protected by thick mulch. If you garden in a more inland location, I advise lifting the crowns and storing in a greenhouse to prevent winter damage.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Chrysanthemum
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[Bugs]

AN interesting article GPI , the chrysanthemum is a much underated plant , they are not as fashionable as they used to be , which is a pity as they are easy to grow and propagate and give great displays of flowers .
Bugs
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