Hello All,
I am a recent homeowner with some experience at vegetable and herb gardening. However, when it comes to flowering plants and shrubs I am very much a newbie.

I have not had very much success this summer with trying to maintain a nice flowering garden. I am not sure which types to choose or really how to design a year long garden that doesn't look like a barren dessert 4 weeks after planting.

My initial question is:
I have some nice crysanthemums that have already bloomed. Should I nip the buds or leave them alone going into fall. Will these bloom a second time or is one time IT for mums. It seems like there are buds forming again, but they dropped their blooms weeks earlier.

Anyway,
Thanks for the forum
G.

Hi gss, Welcome to our forum.

Keep the dead buds clipped off your Chrysanthemums, but let the new buds do their thing. The plants should continue to produce blooms up until the first frost!

Hi Gss.....welcome to the forum....I live in maryland also, and was wondering what part you live in???? I'm also a fairly new homeowner, we just bought it last feb. so this was my first attempt at a real garden and not just houseplants that I could have in my apartment.....So nice to see you on board!!!!! Funny you posted that question.....I spent a lot of time today clipping my sisters mums.....if it were up to her she'd never do it....her mother in law bought and planted them all when she was in for a month...Everything, I've discovered, is a learning process....deciding what you like best, and if it will grow in the conditions in your yard....and oh, some great advice from all the wonderful people on here helps a lot too!!!!

Hi gssgardener!
Welcome to the friendliest gardening board on the web! I think you'll really like it here, and you'll learn alot too!
You've already gotten excellent advice on those mums, if you deadhead, they'll keep blooming right up to the first hard freeze.
Hope to hear from you often...


Nikkal