Strolling casually rushing into the supermarket this morning, something caught my eye on the outdoor stands where the fresh corn and tomatoes and green beans used to be. This “something” stopped me dead in my tracks.
Mums. Shelves and shelves of Chrysanthemums. There were no deep autumn colors yet, like burgundy or purple or deep bronze or red… but there were white ones, pure and lovely. And yellow ones, soft and sun-kissed.
Mums mean autumn to me here in New England. Their blooms are so abundant and so promising when all else is beginning to rest. Their colors beckon from pots and planters and porches and gardens, sending cheerful messages as the earth perfects its cycle.
And the Chrysanthemum is the November birth flower. Jane’s birthday is in November, and very early-on I taught Jane about her special flower. Jane even learned to spell C-H-R-Y-S-A-N-T-H-E-M-U-M before she entered kindergarten, and I can still see the marvel and magic in her big blue eyes as she called out those letters… one by one. In Japan, there’s an entire Festival of Happiness to celebrate the beauty of the Chrysanthemum, and I’ve even heard that the City of Chicago has named the Chrysanthemum its official flower. My Dad was born in Chicago… ah, another reason to love the Chrysanthemum!
I believe that Mums do truly and indisputably reign as “Queen of the Fall”… and I found myself purchasing 3 pots of yellow Mums today. I placed them in clay pots and I can’t keep my eyes off them as they dazzle my porch and my back deck.
Does this mean summer is officially over?
Mums have been out here for about a week, and I’m afraid it does mean summer is over. Or very nearly over! I love mums, too. I love that when the rest of the flowers are dying and turning brown, we still get glorious color from mums.
The very first things I ever planted in my first yard at my first house were mums.
Too soon, too soon, and yet, so beautiful.
I love to see them on peoples’ front steps, or planted under the landscaping in front yards, a last gasp of new growth as the year slips into it winter coat.
(Chrysanthemums are my birth flower, too).
I want to get some mums for my porch too. I don’t have much luck keeping flowering plants alive though. Summer’s been over for me for weeks. When I have to go back to school to get my classroom ready mid-August, that ends summer for me. Weather wise, I think it’s going to be a ridiculously hot end of Sept. early Oct. Just my gut prediction
You have me craving MUMS now! My favorite time of year is Fall. I usually get them in all colors, with yellow being my favorite. Have you ever planted them in the ground for them to keep coming up? I’ve never had good luck with them coming up again.
I recently made cupcakes with mums on them.
Such a pretty flower! As sad as I am when summer ends each year (especially now that we hardly had one!), I am very ready for fall.