Heirloom Chrysanthemum Workshop at Bear Creek Farm
This time of year, when most of the garden flowers have already faded, one stands out in a variety of gorgeous colors and forms - the heirloom chrysanthemum.
Last week, I attended a very informative and inspiring Heirloom Chrysanthemum Workshop at Bear Creek Farm in Stanfordville, New York. Bear Creek Farm sells an array of flowers, tubers and seeds and hosts several interesting flower seminars through the year. At this gathering, I, along with a small group of other "mum" enthusiasts, learned all about what makes these chrysanthemum blooms so special. We heard about their history and their unique growing needs, the secrets of cultivating strong healthy plants, certain growing methods and helpful tips - all with hands-on instruction and detailed explanations.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Have you ever seen a mum so beautiful? Chrysanthemum ‘Seaton’s Je’Dore’ is deep pink to almost white in color depending on the growing temperatures. It was just one of the gorgeous blooms I saw at Bear Creek Farm last weekend.
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- And this is another stunning bloom, ‘Fleur de Lis.’ It’s often called the “Queen of Fall Flowers” with its vivid bright pink tones and delicately curved petals.
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- And look at its size. This and many of the heirloom mums here are bigger than one’s hand.
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- And this is one of several chrysanthemum tunnels. Greenhouse tunnels allow for extended growing seasons, provide controlled environments with specific temperature ranges and protection from wind and frost. These mums are ‘Savanna Charleton’ and ‘Fleur de Lis.’
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- Chrysanthemum ‘Savanna Charlton’ is big, elegant, light pink, and early-blooming. Growing these heirloom mums requires careful attention and care. They thrive in sunny locations with well-draining soil and space to develop their spreading roots and tall stems.
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- Chrysanthemum ‘Hagoromo’ has a large in-curved form. It is a vigorous grower with strong, straight stems.
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- Here are Chrysanthemum ‘Jefferson Park’ and Chrysanthemum ‘Hagoromo’ – both about thigh-high and so healthy. All the mums grown at Bear Creek are heirloom Chrysanthemums, meaning they are grown using traditional techniques passed down through generations.
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- This is Chrysanthemum ‘Wind Dancer’- a tall mum with butterscotch rust colored flowers in a starburst pattern.
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- Chrysanthemum ‘Seaton’s Coffee’ has many layered petals formed in a large and open bloom. Its center is dark maroon and stretches to lighter terracotta with slightly gold tips. These flowers can grow up to four and a half inches in diameter atop strong stems.
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- ‘Showers’ describes exactly what is seen, a beautiful shower of white petals and a yellow center. Chrysanthemums are actually short-day plants that require longer periods of darkness to form blooms. They flower best when the days are shorter and the nights are longer.
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- This Chrysanthemum variety is called ‘River City’ which features salmon colored buds that open to upward-facing apricot flowers. When harvesting, pick individual stems when the blooms are one-half to two-thirds open.
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- And this is ‘Woolmans Century’ – a very light pale green to white mum with petals that are incurved and interlaced.
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- This chrysanthemum is an easy grower on strong stems.
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- And this is irregular curved bloom is Chrysanthemum ‘White Out.’ Water chrysanthemums carefully. Be sure to check for dryness first at about an inch deep. If it feels dry, water deeply and always direct water to the base, so it does not damage any leaves or flowers.
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- This white mum is ‘Primrose Mt. Shasta’ – crisp white to light yellow blooms.
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- ‘Connie Mayhew’ is creamy to bold yellow in color with a dome shape.
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- In this tunnel, proprietor Debra Kaye grows ‘Connie Mayhew’ next to Je’Dore. Early in the season, before blooming, Debra recommends disbudding. Disbudding is a technique used primarily on mums to encourage the growth of a single, large flower per stem. By removing side buds, the plant focuses its energy on developing one big bloom.
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- ‘Apricot Alexis’ is one of the heirloom mums I am growing at my farm along with ‘Fleur de Lis,’ ‘Jefferson Park,’ ‘Apricot Alexis,’ ‘River City,’ ‘Woodman’s Century,’ and ‘Luxor.’ I will definitely grow a lot more varieties next year.
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- This gorgeous variety is ‘Kokka Bunmi’ – a most captivating mum loved for its intricate layers of lavender and pink flowers with shades of purple on the reverse. It also has long, trailing petals.
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- The unique bloom forms, rich history, and long vase life are what set these stunning mums apart. Learn more on Debra’s web site and follow her on Instagram @bearcreekfresh.
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