September is a time when most of our flowers look pretty worn out, almost as worn out as I feel. Exhausted from garden weeding, mowing, and endless watering, I am ready for a change. Fortunately, fall is right around the corner.
With it arrives cooler nights, falling leaves and bright chrysanthemums in autumnal colors. What a word “chrysanthemum” is, and quite the tongue twister of a plant name. William J. Johnson said, “A chrysanthemum by any other name would be easier to spell.” I agree, so let’s refer to them as “mums.”

I have a love/hate relationship with plants. Don’t get me wrong, I love plants, flowers, trees, and bushes. Flora beautifies the earth all seasons of the year.

When my dad was stationed in Germany for two years, we always made a trip to the Netherlands in the spring. We visited fields of tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils. They were absolutely gorgeous. When we returned to the states and Dad retired, he had multiple orders of bulbs waiting for him in Utah.