season's best flower, The

Southern Living, Oct 2003 by Bussell, Gene B

The pink blooms of this classic perennial will brighten your garden.

Fall is simply one of the best times of the year. The cooler weather brings welcome relief from the heat of summer. Plants also love autumn, and many put on a brilliant show right now. One of the best performers is 'Ryan's Pink' chrysanthemum.

Easy, Easy, Easy

"Whether you are just learning to garden or have been gardening for years, this is the plant for you," says Jason Powell of Petals From the Past nursery in Jemison, Alabama. It provides long-lasting color late in the season and offers excellent resistance to disease and insects. As a bonus, it makes a terrific cut flower for fall arrangements.

With its soft pink flowers and yellow centers, this mum takes center stage in the fall border. Its loose, mounding habit blends beautifully with other plants. However, if you would like a more upright, sturdy mum, simply pinch the tips of the branches off 2 to 3 inches in early May and then again in early July. The stronger side branches that develop will help to keep the flowers aloft.

'Ryan's Pink' requires little care, and when adding them to your garden, less is more. Use mulch when planting in the fall to help protect the roots as they become established. "A 4-inch pot is all that is necessary to get started," Jason says. "It is a vigorous grower. You actually don't want to encourage it too much, so apply a slow-release fertilizer once in the spring and again in the summer. You will still be able to share it with your friends the following year."

Good Company

So what else can you plant with this mum? A host of autumn favorites works well: asters, joe-pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum), Japanese anemones, goldenrods (Solidago sp.), and swamp sunflowers (Helianthus angustifolius). Salvias are an excellent choice, and there are lots of kinds. Try forsythia sage (Salvia madrensis), with yellow flowers that echo the center of 'Ryan's Pink' mum. The purple blooms of Mexican bush sage (S. leucantha) mix beautifully, as does blue sage (S. azurea grandiflom). For more choices, see "Salvia Puts On a Show" on page 94.

Once you've gathered all these brilliant blooms together in your garden, don't be surprised if you find a few welcome visitors this fallbutterflies! GENE B. BUSSELL

'RYAN'S PINK' MUM

At a Glance

Size: 18 to 24 inches with a mounding habit

Bloom time: late August till frost

Light: full sun to partial shade

Soil: average, well drained

Water: drought tolerant once established

Propagation: Divide clumps in early spring.

Range: all South