LADYBUG ... COLORFUL CHRYSANTHEMUMS ARE THE QUEEN FALL SPLENDOR IN THE GARDEN

Crisp warm days, clear blue skies, colorful chrysanthemums and breathtaking fall colors of leaves--this is October. What a thrilling month for those who from day to day watch Nature silently and swiftly shift the scenes on the countryside from green to yellow mixed with orange, red and purple.

At this time of the year trees offer a kaleidoscope of fall color. Included in this fall parade are the maple, service berry, birch, hickory, dogwood, smoke persimmon, ash, sweet gum, sourwood, poplars, oaks and sumac. Poison ivy, the villain, receives public applause for its bright red leaves. Bittersweet, with its clear yellow dress and dangling orange berries is also spectacular.

Last week we took a spectacular drive through Giant City Park in Illinois to marvel at the beauty of the season. My favorite brother Carl knows all of the back roads in Union County, so the drive was one which gave us a good panorama of the area from spectacular heights.

Fall color is one of Nature's many secrets. A few points are fairly well understood regarding this phenomenon, but scientists have failed to solve many of such problems as "Why does this hard maple in my yard turn yellow in autumn, while another beside it of the same specie and apparently living under identical environment, turns brilliant red?"

Even though many secrets remain unsolved, some knowledge of the marvelous procedure of Nature adds greatly to our appreciation and enjoyment of this beautiful season.

Chrysanthemums were never more beautiful than this year. Those which wintered last year have made huge colorful mounds and are rich in color. At this time of year one can purchase large, mature plants in bud or bloom which can be used in limitless ways for instant color around shrubs, trees, with other perennials or annuals and among roses. With protection, they will survive the winter and burst into bloom next fall, following the necessary treatment for all mums.

It used to be that mums only evoked images of fall splendor. Now they are available as potted plants the year around. They are featured for gifts plants for special holidays most near anytime.

Who says you can't fool Mother Nature? By shortening daylight hours in the greenhouse, a normally fall blooming garden mum can be "tricked" into flowering in the spring.

There are several reasons why it is good to purchase them in the spring. The main one is that those purchased and transplanted in the spring have a better chance of survival the first year than do those transplanted in the fall because the root system can become better established before winter sets in.

To grow full and dense mums that flower well, they should be in a sunny location. Although there are thousands of varieties, those sold in garden centers are usually the short varieties suitable for our gardens. The many categories, based on flower form include; anemone, pompon, spider, incurve and daisy.

Pinching is the term used for keeping mums short and bushy. It means pinching out of shots about two inches. Pinching keeps the plant compact and produces more stems, consequently more flowers per plant. Stop pinching by July 15 and let the plant grow. New short varieties are often self-pinching and tend to branch well with-out this practice.

Garden mums bloom when they have a long night. They like it dark with just a little moonlight. (Who doesn't).

History of the chrysanthemums dates back hundreds of years to ancestral species that were cultivated in China. The flower was introduced to Japan more than a thousand years ago and later into Holland, and was probably brought to this country early in he nineteenth century.

Like most garden flowers, chrysanthemums prefer a rich, well-drained soil in a sunny location protected from strong winds. They enjoy plenty of elbow room and dislike the competition of tree and shrub roots. When planted in low areas early frosts often strike hard enough to destroy developing buds.

Established mum plants are generally tough enough to survive the winter. Like roses, winter survival is not guaranteed. Severe freezing and thawing is more likely to kill the plant than a continually frozen ground. Mulch can help.

In late fall, cut the stems down to four or five inches above the soil. Generally, we just lay these branches gently over the plant. An evergreen mulch can also be used.

Chrysanthemums are the queen of fall splendor in the garden.