• Daylilies and Dianthus 20% off. Blanket flower is buy one, get one free.

• Late Summer Sale — 20% Off Shrubs, trees, vines and roses are all 20% off right now. Orange tags are the sale price because they are marked down even further.

  And this is the right time to be planting. The soil is warmer in late August than it was in June, so roots take off fast — and they keep growing until the ground freezes in November.

They’re Here

Fall mums are on the lot and looking good. This is the first real sign that the season is turning — and if you want the best selection, early is better than late.

Buy Them in Bud, Not in Bloom

The single most useful thing to know about mums.

A plant that’s already covered in open flowers is at the end of its show, not the beginning. You’ll get maybe a week out of it. A plant with tight buds and just a little color breaking looks less exciting on the shelf, but it’ll give you four to six weeks of bloom on your porch.

Look for buds. Every time.

Why They Bloom

Mums are what’s called short-day plants. They don’t flower on a calendar — they flower in response to nights getting longer. Once darkness stretches past a certain point, the plant switches from making leaves to making buds.

This is why a mum sitting under a porch light or near a streetlamp will sometimes bloom late or unevenly. The plant is reading the light and deciding it isn’t fall yet. If you’ve ever had one lag behind the others, that’s usually the reason.

Watering

Mums drink more than almost anything else you’ll put on your steps. They’re dense, root-packed, and often in a pot that’s too small for them by the time they hit full size.

Check the soil daily. Stick a finger in — if the top inch or two is dry, water until it runs out the bottom. In a sunny spot on a warm September afternoon, that can mean every day.

They wilt dramatically and they recover fast, but every hard wilt costs you buds. Consistency is what keeps them blooming.

Can You Keep Them?

Sometimes. Here’s the honest answer.

Garden mums are hardy in our zone on paper, but survival in Maine comes down to one thing: whether the roots got established before the ground froze. A mum planted in the ground in late August or early September has a real chance. A mum bought in full bloom in mid-October and planted the same week almost never makes it — there just isn’t time.

If you want to try:

• Get it in the ground now, not in November
• Pick a spot that drains well — winter wet kills more mums here than winter cold
• Water it consistently through fall
• Leave the stems standing over winter. Don’t cut it back until spring. Those dead stems catch snow and insulate the crown

And if it doesn’t come back, that’s normal. Plenty of people treat mums as a seasonal thing and enjoy them for exactly what they are.

What They Pair With

Mums do their best work with a little company. Ornamental kale and cabbage hold color hard into November. Asters bloom on a similar schedule and feed late pollinators when almost nothing else is open. Pansies handle frost better than people expect.

They Don’t Tell You The Hard Part About Loving Plants

It’s not just the watering schedule.

Or remember to fertilize.

It’s walking into those big box stores… staring at rows of half-dead succulents under fluorescent lights… and feeling completely lost.

Which one will thrive in my home?

How much light does “partial sun” really mean in a Maine winter, indoors?

And why does everyone on Instagram make it look so easy?

Here’s what I’ve learned after 30+ years of helping people with plants…

The difference between a healthy fiddle leaf fig and a sad, brown one isn’t some hidden talent.

It’s having someone actually help you that knows.. We Grow 10’s of thousands of plants every year.

Because plants aren’t decorations.

They are what that brings your home to life when everything outside is frozen and gray.

They’re the quiet morning ritual of checking new growth while your coffee brews.

They’re proof that you can nurture something beautiful… even in the middle of a Maine February.

And you deserve to succeed. You deserve beautiful healthy plants.

That’s why Broadway Gardens exists.

Get Directions → South Portland — Westbrook

We aren’t trying to sell you the trendiest plant and send you on your way.

But to be your partner in creating an indoor garden you’re actually proud of.

When you walk into our greenhouses… you’re not just another customer trying to figure it out alone.

You’re someone we genuinely want to see succeed.

Got questions about that pothos you’ve been eyeing? Ask them. All of them.

Killed three snake plants and feeling embarrassed? We’ve heard worse. (Trust me.)

Not sure if your north-facing window gets enough light? Let’s talk it through.

Because here’s the truth…

Those big stores? They’re great at stocking shelves.

But they can’t tell you why your rubber plant keeps dropping leaves.

Or which soil mix has the right ph for your ficus tree.

Or why your orchid hasn’t bloomed in years.

We can.

And we will.

What You’ll Find At Broadway Gardens:

Healthy, thriving plants that were actually cared for before you got them… not just shipped in yesterday and shoved onto a shelf.

The right soil, pots, and fertilizers for YOUR specific situation… not just whatever is on sale.

Honest answers from people who’ve been doing this for decades… in Maine… where winter is real and indoor gardening isn’t optional, it’s survival.

Local delivery available… because sometimes hauling a 6-foot monstera in your car isn’t realistic.

And most importantly?

A team that celebrates when you come back and tells us your plants are thriving.

This Winter, Your Home Deserves More Than Gray Skies

While the garden beds sleep under snow…

Accent your living room with the perfect mix of green and flowers.

Fresh herbs On your kitchen window sill

Your bedroom can have a Spider Plant that actually helps filter your air.

This isn’t going to happen because you became a plant expert overnight.

But because you finally have the right support.

Visit Us This Week:

Broadway Gardens Greenhouses, South Portland & Westbrook, Maine

Come in. Ask questions. Touch the leaves. Smell the soil.

Let us help you find exactly what will thrive in your home.

And walk out feeling like you just gained a partner… not bought a plant.

Because that’s what we do here.

We help people succeed.

Your indoor garden is waiting.

And we can’t wait to help you grow it.