17 Reasons Fall Mums Are the Best Fall Flowers

Inside: Fall mums signal that fall is here! Discover the best ways to decorate with these charming fall flowers.

It’s the season for mum madness. When everyone is going pumpkin crazy, sipping pumpkin spice lattes and eating pumpkin everything, there’s a certain set of us who are going wild for fall mums, too.

These charming flowers add so much vibrancy to a home during fall. They’re festive and fun and you can’t do fall without them.

Plus, you don’t need to have a big house to enjoy them. Even if you have one small potted mum sitting on your apartment balcony, that’s enough to get the fall feeling.

You probably don’t need a list of reasons to love fall mums, but just for fun, here are 17 reasons these beauties are the best fall flowers.

1. They signal fall

When you start seeing fall mums popping up in grocery stores, nurseries, and hardware stores, you know it’s true: Fall is here!

2. They come in fall-tastic colors

Burnt orange. Deep burgundy. Cheery yellow. Mums come in a variety of perfect-for-fall colors. The hard part is choosing what colors you want. (I usually end up buying several of each color.)

3. They come in purple, too

Not a fan of fall colors? Don’t worry. Fall mums even come in purple. From light lavender to rich eggplant tones, you’ll find them in all manner of purple hues.

Pair them with pink and white mums for even more fun.

4. They’re easy to care for

Potted mums are low-maintenance plants that require only a little TLC. Plant them in well-drained soil and keep the soil moist. They also prefer full sun. But really, mums aren’t a picky plant.

5. They last

Depending on where you live, your fall mums should last several months. I live in the Midwest and mine go on full display from September through November.

When buying mums, choose mums with unopened blooms. It won’t feel right. After all, you want pretty full flowers right now. But the plants will last much longer if you choose buds that haven’t opened yet. Plus, as perennials, fall mums will regrow next year. Score!

6. They’re cheery

Can you even look at a mum without smiling? Their cheery blossoms make you smitten. And, if you keep potted fall mums on your porch, they’ll give everyone who passes by your home a cheery boost.

7. They’re great décor

Fall mums are the perfect flowers to add to your fall displays. They complement pumpkins and gourds well, making them a no-brainer addition to a harvest display.

You could even use them indoors for a one-time dinner centerpiece and then transplant them to containers outside for the rest of the season.

8. They look good with pumpkins

Pumpkins and mums. Mums and pumpkins. Can you have a fall display without one or the other? Of course not! Fall mums and pumpkins are two peas in a pod.

If you want to get really serious about pairing the two, carve out the inside of a pumpkin and use the pumpkin as a vase for a bouquet of mums.

9. They dress up your porch

Get your porch ready for the season with mums galore. Mums do well in containers, so decorate your porch by planting mums in a variety of containers.

Think beyond terracotta pots. Add a rustic chic look to your front porch by planting mums in wooden barrels, metal buckets, apple baskets or wooden boxes. (If you don’t want to plant them, simply set them inside the containers.)

Once planted, cluster your potted mums in corners of your porch. They also look nice lined up on porch steps. (i.e. Every fall Instagram photo ever.) Place one on each step to create a welcoming effect.

10. They’re inexpensive

All plants are a budget-friendly way to add life to your home. Mums too. These babies cost only a few dollars and right now you can find some good deals on mums. (I scored mine for $1.50 each recently!)

11. They transition well

These decorating staples last throughout the fall season. Fall mums make sense for displays during early fall, Halloween and through Thanksgiving. For both inside and outside.

With a few tweaks, you can make the fall mums on your porch Halloween-ready. Drape fake cobwebs over them and hide spooky spiders, rats or crows on their blooms. Then, swap out the gore for gourds and you’re ready for Thanksgiving.

12. They’re a classic

You can’t go wrong with mums. This plant won’t go out of style. Even if you leave them in the same plastic pot they came in when you bought them—and do nothing else—they’ll make your porch, living room or kitchen look like you took the time to get festive.

13. They’re great for decorating indoors

Dress up the inside of your house with fall mums, too. They add texture and a pop of color to inside spaces.

Try these ideas:

• Place a few potted mums in—or near—your fireplace hearth
• Add potted mums in bare corners of rooms
• Line a few smaller mums on your dining room table for an easy centerpiece

14. They’re a natural element

Rooms can feel stale without something living in them.

Decorating with mums indoors can add much-needed life to a space. And, once you no longer want the mums inside, transfer them outside.

15. They make easy arrangements

Snip off a few stray stems from your potted fall mums to make elegant flower arrangements for your home.

I like to use small simple vases, like clear glass bottles or skinny milk glass vases, to hold a few mum blossoms.

16. They look great with burlap

Dress up your potted mums by wrapping the pot in burlap. So simple.

17. They’re festive

Mums get you in the mood for fall. They’re festive, fun and iconic. I’m a big believer in celebrating the changing seasons and adding mums to your home is a great way to bid farewell to summer and say hello to fall.

Every season is a fresh start. Incorporating a few potted fall mums into your home will encourage you to start the transition to fall.

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