The culture of fast ornamentals (very much akin to fast fashion and fast food) bothers me to no end. If a plant dies, that’s ok. No need to feel guilty. It happens to everyone.
But to buy potted plants for the sole purpose of enjoying their blooming period for a few weeks and then discard them? That’s just wasteful. Chrysanthemums, poinsettia and kalanchoe are a few of the plants that are thrown out even though you could get them to rebloom year after year.
I received these mums as a gift last year. They had been forced to full bloom, so they died back pretty quickly.
Instead of discarding them, I deadheaded them and removed the dry leaves. Then kept them on my deck over the summer. They rebloomed even longer this fall and have bounced back stronger and brighter in color. No fertilizers. No fancy tricks. They just lived on my deck and got watered when it didn’t rain. And this is how they looked in November. Showy, vibrant and boisterous.
I really hope we’re not entering the era of fast gardening.
