A world of Octobers

By MEGAN RATHZ
When Nature Speaks

As Anne Shirley states in the beloved Anne of Green Gables classic by Lucy Maud Montgomery, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

I adore this book and am always so happy each year when it is time to read it with my students. I fall in love with the characters and little town of Avonlea all over again each time I read it. Anne’s description of October and her love affair with the season of autumn on her farm, Green Gables, is charming and simple, and as timeless as a beautiful fall chrysanthemum; commonly referred to as mums.

The month of October is synonymous with many things: corn stalks, Halloween, a scenic fall ride on the Nickel Plate Express, haunted houses, fall festivals, Conner Prairie’s Headless Horseman, caramel apples, pumpkin spice lattes, chili cook-offs, scare crows, bales of straw, pumpkins and gourds, apple cider and inviting porches sprawling with mums.

The bright blooms of a chrysanthemum signify that the season of fall has dawned. They symbolize friendship, happiness, and well-being; they come in nearly every color of the rainbow, making them a cheerful and bright option for a fall landscape. They are bold and showy, and in my opinion, the ultimate fall decoration.

Mums require well-drained soil and a sunny location, so when planting be mindful where you place them in your landscape. If you are planting your mums in the fall in the ground, it will be more difficult for them to return the following year. The earlier, the better it is to plant mums in the ground in order to make them hardy enough to survive winter. Early buds pruned on mums and clipped will result in double the amount of fall buds, giving a fuller mound appearance.

Photo by Megan Rathz

Perhaps you are like me and utilize mums as a container flower, treating them as an annual in decorative pots to enhance your fall decor. Waiting to plant mums in the fall will most likely result in them not having enough time to establish roots before the first frost, and as a result, they most likely will not survive the winter.

If you are looking for a fun and local spot in Hamilton County to dig your own mums, stop by Spencer Farm to find a big and beautiful selection of colors ranging from red, yellow, white, rust, gold, coral, dark purple and lavender. They provide the shovel and container, and you dig the mums of your choice. You also have the option to purchase already dug mums while supplies last.

Many things represent autumn to me, but I would argue none of them quite as special as chrysanthemums. There is something about the pop of color in your flowerpots and garden, after the rest of your plants have retired to rest until next season. I love carefully selecting the right color of mums for my porch and planting them with an assortment of gourds, cabbages and scarecrows. Nothing says fall quite like an inviting front porch scattered with mums and two people enjoying a cup of coffee from their rocking chairs. I cherish the splash of color mums provide during this beautiful season of crispness, and just like Anne Shirley, I, too, and grateful to live in a world where there are Octobers.

Nature is speaking to us and giving us beauty around every corner of autumn. Are you listening?

Megan Rathz is a wife, mother and teacher. She says everything she has ever learned in life came from her Master Gardener mother.