Fall Mums At Sun Nurseries

A Love-Hate Relationship with Mums

It is September, so it is time to start decorating for Fall. That means for me, Mums! I have a sort of a love-hate relationship with mums. For over 27 years, my husband and I grew thousands at our wholesale nursery to sell to landscapers and garden centers. It was nonstop work starting in late May when our cutting would arrive. You planted them, pinched them back 2 or 3 times, put Osmocote timed-release fertilizer on them, and watered them. Watered them ALL SUMMER LONG. Sometimes, two or three times a day. In between all of that, you also had to spray them to control for insect pests and plant diseases. Then came the fun of loading them in our trucks to deliver them. As I said, a love-hate relationship!

From Grower to Customer: A New Perspective

But now, I am a customer like so many of you. I appreciate all the work I know went into growing these beautiful plants that say FALL when you see them. This morning, I stopped in my local independent garden center, Sun Nurseries.

Impressions of Sun Nurseries’ Perennials and Staff

Being retired, going first thing on a weekday morning is best. What I love about visiting Sun Nurseries is how nice and neat the place is. Their staff are all busy cleaning plants and unloading trucks or watering. But within a few minutes, I was greeted hello. As I wandered among the perennials, I was asked if I needed anything. When I mentioned I was just looking, she told me where she would be if I needed help.

I was very impressed with the quality of their perennials after the hot summer we have had. Their signage was easy to read too. They also have a wide variety of gardening tools, soil, and other accessories, making it a one-stop shop for all your gardening needs.

After a while, I made my way over to the Garden Mums. My husband reminded me to get one in bud. And please get a red one, not another yellow one. Of course, I came home with a yellow one!! Seriously, you can see the yellow from the road, and our front door is reddish. I also found a nice shepherd’s hook with a hummingbird on it that I decided I needed.

Back to my mission, buying a Garden Mum. I was happy that Sun Nurseries buys their mums from local growers. One thing to know about Sun Nurseries is that they grow most of the plants they sell at their growing location in Carroll County. They supplement the selection of plants that they grow with more they buy locally, so we can be assured that the what we get are from this area. As many of you know, I am all about supporting local businesses like Sun Nurseries.

Reflecting on Behnke’s and the Joy of Fall Decor

On days like today, when the weather is so beautiful and the garden center looks so fresh, I miss Behnke’s so much. But then a big truck rolled in and I saw everyone go to help unload more MUMS!! While I was never involved with unloading the trucks at Behnke’s, I sure was when I had our Hillside Nursery. Don’t miss that part at all!

After chatting with owner Annette Fentress and Operation Manager Steve Arrington, (I have written about this beautiful garden center before) I was off to home with my mum. Next up, pumpkins!

What’s Your Fall Decorating Plan? Share Your Ideas!

What plans do you have for decorating for Fall? I would love to see photos! Feel free to share your own experiences and recommendations for fall decorations and local nurseries in the comments. Let’s inspire each other!