2024 Fall Mum Show (Botanic Garden at Smith College, Northampton, MA)

Date Of Event: November 8, 2024

Location: Botanic Garden at Smith College, 16 College Lane
Northampton, MA (2 hours northwest of Boston, MA)

Summary: Chrysanthemums in a variety of shapes and hues took center stage at the botanic garden. There were also a few additional surprises at last year’s event.

It’s amazing the things you find when you finally clean up. I came across a memory card I thought I had lost. Among the photos in the memory card was the colorful “Mums Show” at the Botanic Garden at Smith College. I am especially glad I was able to post these photos for a reason I will reveal later. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much I enjoyed taking these photos!

This was the last Mums show at Smith College. There are a variety of reasons why Smith College is ending this tradition. It was a tradition that lasted over 120 years. The main reasons for their decision are minimizing pesticide usage, prioritizing educational opportunities as well as the lack of space, resources and staff required to put on the show. 

The show spanned two greenhouses jam packed with colorful mums. The second greenhouse of the exhibit features hybridized mums created by students in Gaby Immerman’s class: Plants in the Landscape. Gabby holds a joint appointment as biology faculty and as the experiential learning specialist. Besides being a teacher at Smith College, Gaby has also served on the Board of Grow Food Northampton.

You may notice some numbers in or near some of the mums. Visitors could vote for their favorite mums. Finally, an election I can get excited about.

The mums were in full display throughout the show. I love how they always seem to mix the colors of the different flowers and plants.

As I found out during this show, there are a wide variety of types of Chrysanthemums. This “mum” is called a Early-Flowering Incurved Chrysanthemum, or Incurved Mum.

The Mums Show features not only Chrysanthemums but a variety of trees, plants and flowers. This Theobroma cacao Malvaceae, or more commonly known as the cacao tree or cocoa tree, smells just like cocoa or chocolate. This makes sense since its seeds are used to make cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, cocoa solids and, of course, chocolate. Since the tree is native to the tropics of the Americas, the area where this tree was planted and cared for had to be kept at a relatively warm temperature and humid climate.

These star like flowers are called Hoya Carnosa (aka the wax plant or porcelain flower). It is native to East Asia.

So, if “mums: aren’t your thing, there are lots of other trees, plants and flowers to attract your attention.

You may notice what looks like steam or more accurately condensation in some of the photos. This is due to the warm climate in the room with the cocoa tree and other plants, trees and flowers that required a warmer temperature to thrive.

I was able to enter the botanic garden and hour early. So, I was able to get most of my photos without people in the background of the photos (one of my pet peeves). I did get this guy hard at work in my photo though.

One of my favorite parts of the botanic garden is this wall of cacti.

This cactus looked kind of creepy! It reminded me of a creepy crawler you might see in a horror or sci-fi show!

There also was a preview of one of the temporary exhibits at the garden called “Botanical Bodies: When Identity Blossoms On Skin.” The exhibit showcased photos of tattoos that people, some students and faculty at the college, have on their bodies.

The student-curated photography exhibit explores the intimate relationship between nature and personal identity through photographs and stories of individuals adorned with botanical tattoos that celebrate the beauty and diversity of plant life as a form of self-expression. Each photo is said to tell a story that connects us to nature, heritage and personal meaning. The exhibit, which was installed at the end of January, will run through May 30, 2025. So, there is still time to see it!