Cosmos. C13

Cosmos plants (Cosmos bipinnatus) are essential for many summer gardens, as they reach different heights and have many colours, adding a frilly texture to the flower bed. Growing cosmos is simple and caring for cosmos flowers is easy and rewarding when single or double blooms appear on stems reaching 0.5 to 1 m (3 to 4 ft). Cosmos plants can appear at the back of a descending garden or in the centre of an island garden.

Taller varieties may need staking if they are not planted in a wind-protected area. Planting cosmos flowers gives rise to many uses for the specimen, such as cut flowers for indoor display and backgrounds for other plants. Cosmos can even be used as screens to hide unsightly elements in the landscape. 

When planting cosmos flowers, place them in soil that has not been heavily amended. Warm, dry conditions, along with poor or mediocre soil, are optimal conditions for growing cosmos. Cosmos plants are usually grown from seed. Spread cosmos seeds in a bare area where you want the cosmos to grow. Once planted, this annual flower will self-seed and provide more cosmos flowers in the area for years to come.

The flowers of the cosmos plant, resembling daisies, appear atop tall stems with lacy foliage. Cosmos flower care may include plucking the flowers as they appear. This practice forces growth at the bottom of the flower stem and results in a stronger plant with more flowers. Cosmos flower care can include cutting the flowers for indoor use, achieving the same effect on the growing cosmos plant. 

There are more than 20 varieties of cosmos plants, both annuals and perennials. Two main annual varieties of cosmos plants are grown in the USA: Cosmos bipinnatus, called Mexican aster, and Cosmos sulphureus, the yellow cosmos. The yellow cosmos is somewhat shorter and more compact than the commonly used Mexican aster. Another interesting variety is the Cosmos atrosanguineus, the chocolate cosmos. If there are no cosmoses to self-sow in your flower bed, start planting some this year. Direct sow this frilly flower in a bare area of the bed that will benefit from tall, colourful and easy to care for flowers.