All of these except 2 are from the link (Faribault Growers) posted in the other mum thread. Some I've had for years others were cuttings ordered this past spring.

Some of my favorites:

Cameo - A nice pink. I need more pink.

Rose Grenadine

Dorothy Dega

Purple Pride
Just started blooming about a week ago.

Pancho
New this year. This one really glows in the sunlight.

Dolliette
I really love this one, but it blooms very late and sometimes a very hard freeze knocks it down. The flowers still aren't quite open all the way, but you get the idea.

Bolero (from Bluestone)
New this year and by far my favorite, favorite mum. The is from the "Autumn Crescendo Series" by Rika Bronsther. It's been in bloom for over a month and is still going strong.

Harmony (Bluestone)
Another new one this year and also from the above mentioned series. The flowers are very similar to Bolero, but maybe a bit paler. I think I like Bolero better. This is also a very late bloomer which can be risky around here.

Not a mum, but I thought I would share this too - Aster Bluebird.
I like this a lot, but it is a flopper. I need to stake it earlier next year or pinch it back. It seems slow to establish unlike most asters - but eventually I think it will be very nice. This is my second year with this one and so far it's only managed to reach about 2 - 1/2 feet. 3-4 feet is it's ultimate height. Again, a late bloomer which is very nice around here. Asters which bloom too early are often fried by late season heat.

Kevin

Would love to see the mums in person.

Find smooth aster 'Bluebird' an excellent plant. It's true that, left to itself, it tends not to grow straight up, but I find the stems tend to grow straight, if at an angle. I do stake it to avoid this.

I've grown a fair amount of 'Bluebird' in recent years. I also find that, here at least, it doesn't tend to reach the higher end of it's supposed height range. It's invariably shorter than the 'Alma Pötschke'. Perhaps the fact that it blooms mainly a bit later is a factor (viz. colder).

Still, beautiful mums, Kevin!

Gorgeous mum photos, Kevin! Cameo, Dorothy Dega and Bolero are especially attractive to my eyes.

flowergirl - No, I don't have Matchsticks, but I've heard the name before. When I did a Google search for some photos, it sure looks similar to mine. In fact, it almost looks identical. I wonder what the differences between the two are? I did find this interesting comment in a blog post:

"Matchsticks, however, was my biggest disappointment. When nature combines red and yellow on one petal, the results can be harsh. Add to this visual uneasiness a flower whose petals are partly quilled and partly fluted and the result is chaos. Even though the bloom pictured above appears tame, multipy that image by hundreds and the result may be unpleasant. All together, this variety appeared unattractive in the flowerbed; and its visual energy was too high. Its frenetic appearance made me uncomfortable.

Furthermore, like Yellow Quill, Matchsticks is sensitive to the path of the sun; in the afternoon, it turned away from view. That only worsened the plants appearance. I expect that I will have to remove it from my flowerbed because not only is it disturbing to see but it also disrupts the serenity of the surrounding plants. In all fairness though, most garden writers have been delighted with Matchsticks bold and aggressive performance, so I suspect that I am the lone voice to reject it."

I think the same criticism could apply to Dolliette and to a certain degree I might agree with it, but I still like it.

Sunnyborders - Yes, PLEASE call me Kevin. That's why I always sign my name to a post. Actually I don't like my screen name, but at the time of setting up my account, that's what I picked. Aachenelf is the name of an iris I particularly like.

ispahan - Maybe flopping isn't the best term to use with Bluebird. You're correct when you say it leans. Or maybe arching might be better. In any case, mine does this a long time before the flower buds open, so when they do open they're all orientated in the right direction and I end up with more of a mound of blossoms.

Kevin

I did try a grouping of 3, but I kind of screwed it up. Evidently I didn't pay close enough attention to heights and the shortest one ended up in the rear and the tallest one in the front. It looks kind of weird.

Sandy - I don't do anything special for winter - no protection other than leaves that get caught in the dead foliage. I don't trim them back so that seems to help. I've only lost a couple in the last several years.

As far as soil ph, I've never paid any attention to this, but did find the following blurb from the University of MN Extension Service:

"Soil, Site, and Fertilizer
Garden chrysanthemums grow best in a variety of soils but must have excellent drainage conditions. Growth is poor and winterkill likely in poorly drained wet soils. Sunny locations are good sites. Plants in semishady locations will be taller, have weaker stems, and bloom later in the fall. Incorporate 2 - 4" of peat moss, compost, or well-rotted barnyard manure into the soil. If you use only peat moss or do not add organic matter, apply 3 to 4 pounds per 100 square feet of a complete fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 in the spring. Sidedressing plants with a complete fertilizer in early August, especially in years of abundant rainfall or irrigation, also is recommended. If the fertilizer applied in the spring is a slowly available type, such as coated or organic fertilizer, the second application may not be necessary. Space plants 18 - 24" apart, depending on the mature size of the cultivar."

and from another site:

"Soil
: The ideal soil for chrysanthemum growing is a well-drained sandy loam of good texture and
aeration. The soil should be neutral or slightly acidic with pH 6.5 to 7.0 having high organic content.
Very light sandy soils are not recommended owing to their poor moisture holding properties"

Kevin