I have every intention of keeping track of what mums I buy, but it’s not easy.

I made two trips to my favorite fall farm. Both involved family time with a secondary purpose of gathering mums to plant. The first trip was to gather the majority of the mums, primarily for two other people. I kept them separated, including a couple for myself. The second trip involved only mums for myself, so there was nothing to separate, except…I didn’t keep good track of the colors I bought. I prefer to buy the mums pre-bloom. They last longer.

A couple pots were easy to identify. They were larger with three different colors. It was the smaller pots that were more challenging. I wanted a variety, especially in the adjacent pots. I did my best, then I waited. Time passed, and I peeked at any small sliver of color. As the blooms popped, I was satisfied with the order. I would have shifted a couple, but they were fine, and I enjoyed them through the season. It’s always a little sad to take them out of the pots, but they immediately get replaced for Christmas.

I could label as I purchase mums later this year, but there’s something about the surprise of colors. I find value in the expectation of the surprise. I know it’s going to be beautiful no matter what the color order. And that’s something, coming from a recovering control freak. The dance between control and organization and anticipation and surprise is beautiful. Savor the blooms.