Chinoiserie Chic: Mum is the Word

Carolyne Roehm

With September almost here, mums are plentiful at garden centers. The colors of fall mums are the essence of autumn and not just for planting outdoors. Bring potted mums indoors in blue and white Chinese porcelain planters or cut mums in blue and white Chinese vases for gorgeous color indoors. Mums date back to the 15th century in China and combine beautifully with chinoiserie containers.

Floral departments at places like Publix and Trader Joe's have lots of gorgeous mums this time of year. I normally like flowers all in the same color, but cut mums in yellows and oranges and rusts mix beautifully. Here are tips for your cut mums -

Chrysanthemums are a long lasting cut flower that stays fresh for 7 to 14 days and sometimes longer depending on the variety. Long after other blooms have faded, chrysanthemums remain fresh and can be spruced by adding a few new stems to your arrangement.

These simple care tips, will help you get the most out your chrysanthemums:

When you get home, stand the wrapped flowers in water so they can get a good drink while you're getting the vase ready.

Fill a vase with water and allow it to come to room temperature. If you are using floral foam, let it soak until it is fully saturated and sinks to the bottom.

Add a packet of flower food to extend bloom life. If you don't have flower food, dissolve half a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and a few drops of bleach in 4 cups of water to create a home-made substitute.

Slant cut the stems to the desired length. Flower stems naturally begin to seal their ends, so cutting them helps the flower to take in fresh clean water and extends their vase life. The shorter the stem the more water will feed the bloom.

Remove all the leaves, as chrysanthemum foliage can turn prematurely yellow.

Be sure to keep fresh water in the vase and change the water if it starts looking cloudy.

(BloomIQ.com)