Something happened on 1 September. The seasons snapped, and suddenly it was Autumn. It feels like a grey, grumpy day in November already. But there are still plenty of reasons to be cheery all the way to winter, not least because the cosmos will carry on flowering for another two months.
Cosmos looks like a summer border plant. And it is, especially if you start it early enough indoors. But this is no fairweather annual: Cosmos will flower until the frosts are well and truly in their stride. It leaves a lingering sense of summer in the garden, well after the tomato plants have had their funeral on the compost heap.
I have sown two patches of Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sensation’ at the back of my flower border. It is a tall plant, with feathery leaves and a sweet mixture of pink and white flowers. The foliage alone is stunning, but the flowers are so fun and cheery. They are great for cutting as well, which means there really isn’t much to moan about at all, even if the weather is in a bad mood.
Vital stats:
Location:
Any well-drained, moist soil. Not a fan of heavy soils.
Light:
Full sun
When to plant:
Sow seeds March to May for a long flowering season
What can I expect from this plant?
Height: 1m
Spread: 30cm
Flowers: July – November
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