Chrysanthema Lahr Festival

Many botanical gardens and even city parks show off plantings of mums in the fall, so be sure to check on locations close to home. Some places go above and beyond to create eye-popping displays, such as the chrysanthemum festivals at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania (Nov 1-21), Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Theodore, Alabama (Nov 12-25), and the Portland Japanese Garden in Oregon (Oct 9-17). The National Chrysanthemum Society also hosts an annual show (this year at Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California, Oct 30-31), and local chapters put on smaller shows across the country; visit mums.org to learn more. But if your love of mums can lure you across the Atlantic, then the Chrysanthema Lahr festival in Lahr, Germany, is a can’t-miss event, held from Oct 16-Nov 7 this year.

Photo by: Stadt Lahr

During the annual Chrysantha Lahr festival in Germany, mums transform the picturesque town of Lahr, located at the edge of the Black Forest.

Photo by: Stadt Lahr

Photo by: Courtesy Longwood Gardens

At Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, the annual Chrysanthemum Festival showcases over 20,000 mums in the Conservatory, in some astonishing forms, such as this “thousand blooms” mum.

Photo by: Courtesy Longwood Gardens

Photo by: Jana DeForest

The National Chrysanthemum Society each year holds a competitive show where you can witness the skills of chrysanthemum aficionados from across the country. Shown here is the awards table with an array of the best of the best.