From frump to fab: How mums got trendy

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From frump to fab: How mums got trendy

September 26, 2008

Mums are underrated.

Yes, they lack the delicacy of an orchid and the heavenly fragrance of a rose. But with so many varieties to choose from, mums are experiencing a resurgence.

“Like the carnation, it became unpopular,” says Frances Trzuskowski, a botanist for Teleflora. “If it’s out of style, growers slow production. That’s true for any flower. But now mums have some very elegant looks.”

Pink Mum

More variation coming from South American growers means that these new types of mums offer a decidedly modern twist to bouquets. Button mums, for instance, offer bright bursts of color. The blend of sleek and spiky that comes from spider mums is anything but frumpy.

Staff at Edelweiss Flower Boutique in Santa Monica edelweissflower.com told me earlier this year that button mums and spider mums are especially popular among younger customers.

They’re also economically priced, long lasting, and available in almost any color you can imagine. Right now, hot colors are chartreuse and acid green.

Maribel Gonzalez, owner of The Park Florist in Plainfield, N.J., www.theparkflorist.com “most definitely” agrees that choices in the mum category have burgeoned over the last several years.

“They’re pretty funky,” she says of the electric hues. “But it’s more of an accent for us. Most customers stick with the more traditional colors.”

(Maribel’s business was recently profiled at: mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080926/BUSINESS/809260319/1022/rss07.)

Button, cushion, daisy, duet, spider, Fiji …To help you keep the terms straight, I found this terrific list from Yoder Brothers, Inc., a leading breeder of all types of mums: yoder.com/gardeners/chrysanthemum/spraymums/
spraymum_terms.aspx.

So if you’re entertaining this weekend, try adding a few mod mums to the mix to express your floral chic.

Flower Fact of the Day: Australia’s Floriade (Canberra), a flower and entertainment festival, inspired by Keukenhof in the Netherlands, keukenhof.nl/nm/english.html is in full swing. Learn more at: floriadeaustralia.com/floriade21/See.cfm.

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Comments

Catalina | Reply
September 26, 2008

How can mums miss? It's Fall and that means homecoming with the beautiful homecoming mum corsages!

Queen of the Click | Reply
September 27, 2008

Mums have been under-rated and I am glad they are becoming more popular. I love making a Fall display outside my home complete with hay, a scarecrow and various colors of mums. Mums are hearty and look great for a long time.

Christie | Reply
September 29, 2008

Mums will always mean autumn to me. Their vivid colors are so welcome when there is a chill in the air. Yeah, I remember those corsages too! Big, fat ones with long, long ribbons hanging down and the school initial made out of pipe cleaner in the center of the mum.

Elizabeth M. | Reply
September 30, 2008

I do love them and so why is it that I never plant them?

Annemarie | Reply
September 30, 2008

I love mums and hope to see more of them since they are becoming more popular.

Sand | Reply
October 2, 2008

Mums also remind me of fall and homecoming! They are beautiful flowers!

Melanie Miller | Reply
October 2, 2008

I alwways look forward to the fall. Mums are so expressive of the season!!

Vimal | Reply
October 3, 2008

Have you been keeping up with fashion week? It's quite international and moves a mile a minute, but it has been so fabulous! Tomorrow marks the end them all, however...all the cities and all the weeks. Paris, of course...the Grande Dame of Haute Couture...is where the curtain will close on this Spring 09 experience.
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Vimal

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Melanie Lee | Reply
October 11, 2008

The color variations of Mums are so extensive now a days. You have to be able to find a shade that suits you. I always go for the deep oranges and crimsons. I love to put them by my front door to welcome guests.