The plants like partial shade, especially in hot climates. Mums look better and flower more nicely if the plants are cut back by a third in early summer to keep the clumps bushier. Leave them alone after July first so they can make buds.  Pinching off some of the buds will make the other flowers larger. More on Video

  It's easy to make new clumps in the spring by digging up the old planting and dividing the clumps and replanting the small shoots around the edge. Mums are rarely grown from seeds, but plants are easily available throughout the growing season. Mums are one of the top flowers ordered from florists.

 Not all varieties of chrysanthemum are equally hardy. It is best to get those labeled "hardy" or "super hardy" if you want them return each year. Mulching around the roots can improve their hardiness. Also do not prune the winter killed tops of the plants back until spring. If you acquire a full ground plant in the fall, plant it quickly in the ground so that its roots can take hold and be more likely to survive the freezing weather. More on Video