Just some background information, I have lived in three different regions of Georgia now and each one has had their own “Fall Season.” Back home in Dalton, it’s that beautiful, aesthetic leaves falling, bugs dying, and putting on pants kind of season. At my previous college in Brunswick, some of the non-tropical leaves would fall, the gnats decreased, and you could go for pants maybe one day of the week. Here in Valdosta, nothing really changes.
There is nothing really wrong with Valdosta, but the weather really does not change besides the thunderstorms that start rolling in and the fact it’s maybe 10 degrees cooler than it used to be. However, since I have been working in the Garden Center for some time, I have noticed the changes of plant shipments that arrive throughout the Spring, Summer, and now Fall seasons. The newest shipments being sent out are Chrysanthemums.
Chrysanthemums, also known as Mums, have proven to be very dramatic in the weather of Valdosta. By this, I mean these flowers die within a week. Literally. Now, with the right watering practices and placing them with enough sunlight and shade, they will survive a little longer. However, I have noticed that if the Garden Center does not water their plants, these flowers shrivel up with no hope of revival. Furthermore, they are also picky about receiving regular sunlight over fluorescent lighting. I just pulled over 50 Mums to trash from the store I was working at the other day because the fluorescent lighting of the interior was not up to the Mum’s standards.
All of this to say that Chrysanthemums are still very beautiful and intriguing plants to work with. I have loved setting up displays at my stores to showcase the beautiful, bountiful blooms that Mums produce. It is also very rewarding to me when I have to restock my tables with more Mums because the customers are loving them as well! Although, I must acknowledge that Yellow Mums are the most popular, Orange Mums taking second place, and trailing behind at a tie with Purple and Red Mums. And though all these flowers are the same species, they all vary in blooming time and length: the Yellow Mums prefer to bloom in and bloom out first, the Orange Mums take forever to even bloom, and the Purple and Red Mums bloom a little later than the Yellow Mums but also usually survive long enough to see the Orange Mums bloom. Furthermore, Mums also shed off their dying stems all on their own. I find this very incredible for a plant to do naturally so it can feed the healthier stems instead. It also makes my job easier so I do not have to prune them!
Aside from the immense amount of Chrysanthemums the stores receive, there have also been Fall Perennials and Annual Combo plants that have come in as well. The Fall Perennials are also seen in the Spring and possibly early Summer. However, since the Summer heat has not fully gone away, these flowers do tend to burn when they do not receive enough water or even just a midday cool off spray. The Annual Combos that have shipped in are incredibly beautiful and are surprisingly surviving well. One of the first shipments were more Boston Ferns (there were so many in the Spring, and we barely just got rid of them!). The next shipments have included hanging baskets of Vincas, Petunias, and Creeping Jeenys. Though, there are some Combos that include Mums along with other foliage for extra aesthetic.
If you’re looking for some plants for the Fall Season, now is definitely the time to visit those Garden Centers! And even if you’re not into Outdoor Plants or have a brown thumb, you can always check out the Indoor Plants for some small, easy plants to care for and liven up your space!
hcxo