Cheapest Mums in Topeka, Kansas

I love fall!

Who can resist Chrysanthemums?  I love these daisy-like flowers.  They are not only delightful, but durable. Mums are also a perennial. You should cut back the flowers (cut off the dead flowers) by about 3-4 inches by mid-July, then the mums should bloom again in the fall. 

Mums are native to Asia and northeastern Europe.  Yet the name "Chrysanthemum" is Greek for "gold flower".  The greeks were apparently not known for their flower-naming originality. And of course, you can now find mums in various hybrid shades of red, purple, orange and white.

In China, mums are considered the flower of royalty.  Japan thinks so highly of the bloom it has named September 9th as National Chrysanthemum Day. However. in certain European countries, they are only used at funerals or to put on graves.

The flower portion of the mum contains Pyrethrins, a natural organic compound which repels insects. Pyrethrins are neurotoxins which attack the nerous systems of all insects.  According to gopetsamerica.com you can make your own bug repellant from pulverized dried blooms:

"Buy plants of Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium; this is the only species that contains pyrethrum. Grind several dried flower heads to a fine powder. You can use this dust as is to sprinkle on the garden, or mix it with water to make a spray.

Add enough powder to 1 cup of water to make a paste. Keep adding water until it measures 3 quarts. Filter this solution into the sprayer through several layers of cheesecloth. Don't use either the dust or spray within 3 to 7 days of harvest".

Better yet, just plant a bunch of mums and hopefully irritate the mosquitos right out of your yard.  The best deal I have found in Topeka on mums is at Sutherland's this week.  You can purchase a quart container for $2.00 (see picture above) and a gallon container for $4.99.  I was a little peaved because I had already purchased some mums at about double that price. Don't you hate when you buy something, then it goes on sale somewhere else?