You can tell autumn has arrived in a florist's shop by the chrysanthemums. They have been with us all year, of course, but something changes as September turns into October. Suddenly the buckets are fuller, the colours deeper and the choice seems almost endless: burnt orange, copper, burgundy, plum, bronze, cream, yellow, white and every shade in between.
For a florist, chrysanthemums are one of those flowers that never quite get the credit they deserve. They are reliable, long-lasting and incredibly versatile, but it is their variety that I love most. Give me a bucket of chrysanthemums in autumn and I can spend far too long choosing which ones to use.
More than just one flower
When someone says “chrysanthemum”, you might picture the familiar round flower with lots of petals. But that is only one small part of the story.
There are chrysanthemums with neat, button-like heads, large decorative blooms, delicate daisy shapes and flowers with long, spider-like petals. Some are almost perfectly round, while others have a much more relaxed, open shape. Some look soft and fluffy; others have an almost architectural quality to them.
Then there are the colours. This is where chrysanthemums really come into their own in autumn. The palette seems made for the season: warm rusts and oranges, rich reds, deep purples, bronze, mustard yellow, soft peach, creamy white and beautiful greens. Put several varieties together and suddenly one flower becomes an entire arrangement.
Why florists love them
I have to admit, chrysanthemums are one of my personal favourites to work with. Not because they are unusual or difficult to find, but almost for the opposite reason. There is simply so much choice.
When I am making an arrangement, I can choose a chrysanthemum for its colour, another for its shape, another for its size and another simply because I like the way it moves amongst the other flowers. They can provide the main focal point, sit quietly between larger blooms or add the little bit of texture that makes an arrangement feel finished.
They also play remarkably well with other autumn flowers. Dahlias, roses, carnations, berries, grasses and foliage all seem to find their place around them. A bronze chrysanthemum can warm up a bouquet of creams and whites, while a deep burgundy one can completely change the mood of an arrangement.
And then there is their vase life
There is another reason florists keep coming back to chrysanthemums: they last.
With the right care, chrysanthemums can give you a very good vase life, which is particularly welcome when you're sending flowers as a gift. Nobody wants a beautiful bouquet that looks tired after a couple of days.
As always, clean water and a clean vase make a difference. Remove any leaves that would sit below the water, recut the stems before placing them in water and keep the arrangement somewhere cool, away from direct sunlight, radiators and fruit. Change the water regularly and your chrysanthemums should reward you with plenty of days of colour.
A flower for every season — but autumn suits them best
Chrysanthemums aren't exclusively autumn flowers. We use them throughout the year, and they are available in an extraordinary range of colours and forms in every season. But autumn seems to bring out their personality.
Perhaps it is the colours. Perhaps it is the way the larger flowers sit amongst berries and foliage. Or perhaps it is simply that, at this time of year, we are naturally drawn towards warmer, richer colours.
For me, a bucket of chrysanthemums arriving in autumn is a bit like opening a box of coloured pencils. You start with one idea and then see a colour you hadn't expected, or a shape you haven't used for a while, and suddenly the arrangement takes a different direction. That is one of the nicest things about being a florist: the flowers often have their own ideas.
Not just a supporting flower
Chrysanthemums have sometimes been treated as the dependable flower that fills a bouquet when something else isn't available. I think they deserve better than that.
A beautiful chrysanthemum doesn't need to hide amongst other flowers. A large, dramatic bloom can hold its own as a focal flower, while a collection of smaller varieties can create movement and texture throughout an arrangement. Used thoughtfully, they can be just as exciting as the flowers that tend to get all the attention.
And perhaps that is why I enjoy them so much. They give a florist options. Lots of them. Different colours, different shapes, different sizes and different personalities — all from the same flower family.
Autumn wouldn't be the same without them
As the days shorten and the colours outside begin to change, chrysanthemums seem to belong exactly where they are: in the florist's buckets, in autumn bouquets and arrangements, and on kitchen tables bringing a little warmth indoors.
They may be available throughout the year, but come autumn, they remind us just how much there is to love about seasonal colour.
And if you ask me which flower I would never want to be without in the shop? Chrysanthemums would be very high on the list.