Before you head out to your favorite garden center, take a moment to consider how you can select healthy mums that will provide abundant colorful flowers well into the fall. First, be sure also that you're looking for garden mums, rather than florist mums, which are unlikely to last in your garden. Florist mums are specifically bred and forced to bloom, but they're less likely to survive beyond the season even when properly planted and cared for. Garden mums are less impressive on a store shelf, but easily transplanted for repeat blooming year after year. Mid-September is the best time of year to buy mums for lasting fall color all season, but keep your eyes on the garden center as soon as fall mums go on sale so you can choose from the widest selection of mums.