Japanese Spider mums and recurved formals, each trained in the classic Japanese form – disbudded to a single bloom received much attention at the annual Fall Chrysanthemum Show at Smith College.

 The annual Fall Chrysanthemum Show at the Botanic Garden of Smith College traditionally opens on the first Saturday in November in the 100 year old Lyman Plant house conservatory, set in on the iconic campus designed by the firm of Frederic Law Olmsted. Smith College, located in Northampton, MA hosts two major floral events annually, the Spring Bulb Show in March and this, the Autumn Chrysanthemum show. Horticulture students display some chrysanthemum varieties which they must breed for a class on hybridizing, as many exhibition mums are on display, in much the same way nineteenth century conservatories in America might have displayed mums, showing traditional Japanese and Chinese training methods.

Visitors of all ages enjoyed the fragrance and color on this cold, November day. There is nothing like a greenhouse full of flowers when it is cold outside.

The Lyman Conservatory viewed from the upper campus at Smith college.

Joe and Jess discuss how they might have trained the cascade style mums. They require constant care, and are not easy grow to perfection. These were trained onto chicken wire, which any Japanese gardner would turn their nose up at, but it is something we may try next year as the traditional method is difficult requiring single canes of bamboo. Our guess is that these were trained onto a flat, horizontal or angled plane of wire, tied to it, and then placed in position once the buds were forming.

This anemone form was particularly striking. Now if I could only find a source for it.

A display of single stem Spider Mums disbudded to a single flower which allows all the energy to focus on forming one giant blossom so large, it needs a strong bamboo pole.

Displays were curated by color and form, much like the spring bulb show.

This striking bicolor had a tag which read ‘Yodo Gimi’

A student bred selection with slender petals. One greenhouse had student hybrids each with a numbered tag. Visitors could vote for their most popular.

This student variety attracted many honey bees as it was very fragrant. Bees entered the greenhouse through the roof vents, but some become trapped once the sun sets.

This brilliant yellow spoon variety provided the trapped bees with some after-hours activity. I mean, it’s not like they will be bored locked in a conservatory like this.

A very nice pink anemone form.

Japanese cascading varieties covered an entire wall. Trained on chicken wire, a more traditional method would be to train each of these weak stems to a horizontal cane, and then untie them to cascade naturally. Still, this created a lovely hedge-like effect.

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PURPLE NICOTIANA ADDS A BRIGHT NOTE TO A VIOLET AND BLUE BORDER. HERE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW MASS PLANTINGS OF ANNUALS CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN BORDER PLANTINGS, AND HOW COLOR SCHEMES WORK WHEN MULTIPLE TINTS WITHIN A COLOR FAMILY ARE USED TOGETHER.

THE BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN IS WORTH VISITING IN ANY SEASON, BUT AUTUMN BRINGS ALONG MANY DISPLAYS OF LATE-BLOOMING PLANTS, SOMETHING WE ALL COULD USE MORE OF.

THE PURPLE BORDER HELD MANY PLANTS, PARTICULARLY LESSER KNOWN ANNUALS FROM SOUTH AFRICA, MANY SALVIA SPECIES AND CUPHEA. THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF BLUE AND PURPLE IS REPRESENTED HERE.

 One garden in particular captured my attention – an inspirational border composed mainly of purple flowered annuals. In many borders, I could see that volume is important , as well as texture. If I viewed this garden above in June, I would have no idea what it could look like when fully matured. An annual with wirey stems such as Salvia or Cuphea would be wasted if planted singles, or in clusters of three as many books suggest.  But if planted in groups of 20 or 30,  a cloud of color is created. Pale green stems, tiny leaves and specs of colored blossoms suddenly blend, creating an entirely new effect, it’s not about the size or color of the blossom alone, one must consider the mass effect, the light and the density of the planting. In the above image, each annual creates its own texture. Imagine if the garden designer above used only one 6 pack of ageratum, or four cuphea? Taking photos at well designed gardens will help you plan schemes in your own garden.

 A NEW SPECIES AND A NEW COLOR

CUPHEA VISCOSISSIMA, A NEW ANNUAL FOR ME, AND RELATIVELY NEW IN THE TRADE – I COULD NOT EVEN FIND IT IN MY BEST GARDENING BOOK ON ANNUALS. I AM NOW IN SEARCH FOR SEED. I HAVE FOUND PLANTS AVAILABLE FROM ANNIES ANNUALS.

MORE JAPANESE ANEMONES, REMIND US ALL THAT ONE CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH OF THIS FINE OLD PERENNIAL. AGAIN, PLANT IN DRIFTS FOR THE BEST DISPLAY

BLUE AND GREEN, A CLASSIC COMBINATION, BUT THE BEST GREENS COME NOT FROM ZINNIA ‘GREEN ENVY’ WHICH CAN FADE IN THE SUN, BUT FROM NICOTIANA.

CONTAINERS OF TENDER PLANTS ON A GRAVEL DRIVE AT THE BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN

RUDBECKIA, NOT REALLY AN ANNUAL, NOT REALLY A PERENNIAL, THE BEST PLANTS ARE ALWAYS GROWN FROM SEED EVERY YEAR, NEVER EXPECT THEM TO COME BACK OR LIVE LONG

DETAIL OF GAURA BLOSSOMS. THERE WERE MANY VARIETIES PLANTED IN THE BORDERS, AND EACH ONE HAD A DIFFERENT EFFECT, YET EVERY VARIETY WAS SPECTACULAR. THIS NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE DESERVES A REVISIT IN MY GARDEN.

AT THE OLD FARMHOUSE, TENDER TROPICALS SUCH AS THESE ALOCASIA MIX WELL WITH SALVIA, CANNA, NICOTIANA AND BRIGHT RED CUPHEA.

DOUBLE WHITE COSMOS MAKE ORDINARY SINGLE COSMOS SEEM, WELL…ORDINARY

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