Cosmos are one of my favourite summer flowers. They are a feature in my garden every year without fail. While other flowers may come and go, cosmos are a constant. It was no surprise then to discover cosmos comes from the Greek word ‘kosmos’, meaning beautiful. With their range of colours and feathery leaves, they make a lovely addition to any garden. So I thought I’d dedicate a few words to a love of cosmos and why I love to grow them each year.
Cosmos are easy to grow from seed
You can, of course, buy cosmos plants at your local garden centre. I spotted them on sale recently for £7.99. However, it is very easy to grow cosmos from seed. A seed packet costs between around £1.80 and £2.50 for a quantity of 50. The seeds are long and thin, making them easy to handle. And by growing from seed, you’ll also have a much greater variety of flowers to choose from. The seeds germinate relatively quickly (which is very satisfying !). And in a matter of weeks, you’ll have leafy seedlings that, depending on the variety, can grow into quite tall plants.
This year, for the first time, I used a Super7 Electric Heated Propagator to grow my cosmos. This fitted nicely on to the kitchen windowsill and I was able to grow different types of plants at the same time. Before long I was potting on the seedlings, allowing them to grow on in my little growhouse while patiently waiting for the weather to warm up so they could then be planted outside in the raised bed. I probably got a little ahead of myself by planting them out at the end of April ! It is generally recommended that you wait until mid to late May.
Cosmos seedlings in the grow house – you can spot them by their feathery fronds, top left in the image
Pollinator friendly plants
Cosmos flowers have a long flowering period. In my garden they will flower from July right through to October, possibly longer just depending on the weather. In that time they do a great job of attracting pollinators – bees, butterflies and other insects. Just remember to keep deadheading which will encourage them to flower for longer. I also stake mine as summers now tend to be quite blustery affairs here, especially in July.
Cosmos make a great cut flower
It’s one of things I love most about summer. Being able to go outside, pick a few cosmos and pop them in a vase. Cosmos look great on their own or combined with other flowers from the garden. This year I grew Cosmos Apricotta and Cosmos Apricot Lemonade (love that name!) along with Calendula Sunset Buff (see pic below). I love the warm, coral tones of these flowers – something new for me as I usually stick with white and pink.
A few cosmos and calendula picked from the garden earlier this month
Great to photograph
I won’t deny it. I also grow cosmos because I love to photograph them. They are a very photogenic flower. In summer, when the sun starts to set behind our garden, it illuminates the flowers, basking the petals in a warm glow. Then I am out with my camera, trying to capture the scene.
Cosmos Purity from last summer
Cosmos Apricotta and Apricot Lemonade in the garden this year
I am also growing Cosmos Kiiro
As I write this, it’s raining outside – again. Yet yesterday we had a beautiful summer’s day. Hopefully the sun will return soon so we can enjoy the garden a little more and especially the cosmos as they continue to bloom. Perhaps you might like to try growing them yourself next year. If I can do it, anyone can 🙂
Wishing you a lovely day,
Paula
Useful Links
The Flower Garden – How to grow flowers from seed
We have no Cosmos this year which is a shame as they ARE beautiful flowers. Maybe I need to grow them from seed & have a greater variety of colours too! Fingers crossed for some sunshine this summer as it’s not been a good one, so far.
Yes, they are so easy to grow from seed. The weather has been poor today. I think we are all waiting for summer to actually start ! Thanks for reading my post 🙂
They look beautiful. Love their feathery leaves. X
Thank you. Just need some sunshine now to get things going !