Grower News

Every autumn, mum’s the word in Ashtabula County. Bob Mramor, owner of Kelly’s Gardens in Saybrook Township, planted more than 3,000 mums in a multitude of colors for his customers to buy and enjoy. These days, mum’s the word as thousands of chrysanthemums in shades of red, yellow, purple, pink and orange appear on the market. The colorful flowers give northeast Ohio residents an opportunity to enjoy an array of autumn colors in their gardens and landscaping. At Kelly’s Gardens, 4220 N. Ridge W., Saybrook Township, 8-, 12- and 16-inch pots of these colorful flowers are just starting to bloom. “We have more than 3,000 plants in a variety of colors,” said Bob Mramor, owner. “In the fall, mums are very popular because they are in bloom. There’s not a lot of color in September and October, but mums are very big in color.” These mums are expected to be purchased by gardeners who can be seen walking away with their arms full of the long-lasting flowers, which Mramor diligently cared for since June. “We are a local grower; we grow them here,” he said. “We are so local that the mums are right out our back door.” The arrival of mums in stores around Labor Day is one of the best horticultural events of the year, said Ryan Sander, store manager of Sander’s Market in Jefferson. Gardeners get a beautiful plant that blooms for about six weeks. Then, if you plant it, water it and mulch it, it will come up again next September and bloom again. Grace Kirch, owner of Gracie’s Greenhouse, 7145 E. Route 84, in Monroe Township, suggests planting spring bulbs when planting mums. Dig the hole deeper, place the bulb in the ground and set the mum on top. Then, fill with dirt, she said. In the spring, you will have a tulip or daffodil, and in the fall, you will have a colorful mum, she said. In Jefferson, there’s a Jefferson Farm Market, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturdays in the parking lot of the Historical Society, 32 E. Jefferson St., that offers a […]

Source: www.starbeacon.com