The autumn mums I buy every year over-winter in an unheated garage very nicely. Most of mine make it three years! They typically last two seasons, and a couple here and there don't come back in the spring, but they are in the minority. Not sure why they keep going for me. What's nice is that they rebloom very late in the summer - mine are just starting to flower now and will keep going through the end of September. I'll buy a few more for the fall season. They also tend to double in size from the previous year if they are in a large pot. Some that I have in smaller pots remain small. I repot fall purchased mums to give them fresh soil and more room. They do not usually over-winter if left in the disposable pots they are sold in. I bring them out of the garage in mid-April, water, and within 2 weeks I'll see new green growth - if I do not see it on a few of them, I know these are done. All summer I have lovely foliage and huge mounds of greenery that slowly develop buds. While I keep them tagged with their original color, I never check it and like to be surprised. Moving potted flowers around is a lot of fun, too. While I rotate each pot to counter the phototropism lean, I also move pots from the front of the house to the back and vice versa. I start seeds in pots in the back yard as well and then move them in front once they have filled out. It's nice to change up the views around the house.
The autumn mums I buy every year over-winter in an unheated garage very nicely. Most of mine make it three years! They typically last two seasons, and a couple here and there don't come back in the spring, but they are in the minority. Not sure why they keep going for me. What's nice is that they rebloom very late in the summer - mine are just starting to flower now and will keep going through the end of September. I'll buy a few more for the fall season. They also tend to double in size from the previous year if they are in a large pot. Some that I have in smaller pots remain small. I repot fall purchased mums to give them fresh soil and more room. They do not usually over-winter if left in the disposable pots they are sold in. I bring them out of the garage in mid-April, water, and within 2 weeks I'll see new green growth - if I do not see it on a few of them, I know these are done. All summer I have lovely foliage and huge mounds of greenery that slowly develop buds. While I keep them tagged with their original color, I never check it and like to be surprised. Moving potted flowers around is a lot of fun, too. While I rotate each pot to counter the phototropism lean, I also move pots from the front of the house to the back and vice versa. I start seeds in pots in the back yard as well and then move them in front once they have filled out. It's nice to change up the views around the house.