I plunk all the neighbours throw-a-ways that show up at the curbs just after hallowe'en/thanksgiving right into my garden. When I plant them, I cut the stems in half just to keep the plant looking tidy and in the spring keep shearing the new growth back to prevent lanky/floopy blooms too early. I keep shearing them back right up until late July. I get rewarded by short stalky stems and tons of blooms at this time of year.

If you leave yours above ground to freeze over the winter, in their pots, they will die. If you plant them, you may be surprised to find them showing up again in the late spring. They are hardy little guys.

I'll try to dig up the digital camera to give you a picture of what a couple of 'neighbour cast offs' from last fall have netted me this fall. Cheers.

I agree with Sydseeds. She is a very creative and resourceful person.

However, not all mums which are obtainable from the stores are hardy. Many are greenhouse grown and will behave as an annual. If they are of the hardy fall mum varieties, and there are many, Syd's advice is right on. I've done the same myself.

"I'll try to dig up the digital camera...." Did that get plunked into the garden too? ;-)

LOL - sorry! Here's are two 'castoff' mums from the nieghbours that came back well this year out of their pots and in my garden - I musta missed shearing the middle section closest to the tree on the final haircut in July because they are alittle taller in that section. Two small plants on their last legs last fall - big fall bonus for me thus year. Hope they come back again and again - I think I'll shear them shorter next year to keep them even less lanky.
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Thanks for the picture, Sydney. Beautiful

Those appear to be asters rather than mums, but treat them the same anyways

Those appear to be asters to me as well. Every year, I too, buy those gorgeous fall mums for fall displays & plant them afterward into prepared spots in the garden - with no luck. The other day, I spoke to an expert, a grower of those beautiful fall mums. I was told the methods used to make them so spectacular as fall plants makes it impossible for them to return the following year. They are intended to make a fabulous show in the fall. Whew! I thought it was me, even though I did every thing right. If you want your own mums that return year after year, get some small mum plants in the spring which are often overlooked, but are available at the same time as annuals. Seven years ago a friend gave me a division of such a plant, faithfully, every year it blooms in my garden unlike the gazillion fall mums I've planted.

Summer

If seen mums that resemble asters, and yet are mums. I can't see the leaves that well.

I have hardy mums that come up every year. It all depends on the species. I remember at my old house, I had the most amazing colour of mums that came up every year. I have never seen them elsewhere. The previous owner had painstakingly rooted, and split until there was a massive bed along the driveway. Unfortunately, Mr Squirrel planted some walnut trees, and not knowing any better, we let them be. That was the end of the mums. :(

I'm pretty sure those are CHRYSANTHEMUM rubellum Clara Curtis : MUM DAISY.

Look like daisies, but are mums.

poiyuy & summer day - jroot and cangrow are right - even though they look like asters, they are in fact chrysantheumum.

The ones in my photo above are Chrysanthemum arcticum Red Chimo and they apparently are hardy to zone 2 up here, so that's why they are so able to return year after year in my zone 5ish.

So if you're looking for a hardy mum, Chrysanthemum arcticum Red Chimo sure has done well to the point I sliced them both up and was able to pot up numerous smaller ones to plant at three other friends garden.

It amazing how someones fall 'freebees' turned into being shared now in four different gardens.