FISHERSVILLE—Spring is often thought of as the prettiest time of the year for flowers—but fall and winter are full of beauties too, including the hardy chrysanthemum.

Just as the poinsettia has come to represent the Christmas holiday season, brightly colored fall-blooming mums have become a symbol of autumn. From grocery stores to garden centers, these colorful plants can be found just about anywhere.

October gardens can come alive each year with the colorful blooms of super-hardy mums in an array of pinks, apricots, reds, purples and yellows.

Mark Viette, a horticulturalist in Augusta County, warns shoppers to be aware that not all mums purchased in the fall are winter-hardy in colder regions. “It’s important to ask someone at a good garden center whether or not the mums they sell are winter hardy,” he explained. “You may also be able to tell by looking at the label. If it doesn’t give hardiness information, it probably isn’t a hardy variety.”

Viette suggested looking for basal shoots, or stolons, at the base of the plant. “If you see these young shoots, then it is probably a hardier variety.”

Hardy mums prefer full sun or light shade and well-drained soil. “Poorly drained, wet soil is fatal to these perennials, especially during the winter,” Viette said. It is important to maintain 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the plants to protect them.

“If you can, it’s always best to plant mums early, before the first frost,” he cautioned. “Keep them well-watered after planting, and do not allow them to dry out.”

To keep the plants compact with lots of blooms, shear or pinch them back by one-third when they are about 6 inches tall, and again when new growth reaches 3 to 5 inches tall; but do not pinch back after mid-July.

Media: Contact Sara Owens, VFBF communications, at 804-290-1133.