Flowers – Cosmos

Cosmos are herbaceous perennial plants or annual plants growing 0.3–2 m tall. The leaves are simple, pinnate, or bipinnate, and arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are produced in a capitulum with a ring of broad ray florets and a center of disc florets; flower color varies noticeably between the different species. The genus includes several ornamental plants popular in gardens. Numerous hybrids and cultivars have been selected and named. Cosmos should be planted as direct-sow seeds outdoors once the danger of frost has passed. Alternatively, sow seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost date in trays or pots with a good seed-starting mixture. Move them into 10cm pots as soon as they’re 6 to 8cm tall.  Young plants (transplants) can be planted outdoors once the danger of frost has passed. If you are growing cosmos from seeds, be mindful that it takes about 7 weeks to first bloom. After that, though, your flowers should continue to bloom until the first fall frost. If you let the spiky-brown seed heads blow away during  Autumn, cosmos are likely to self-sow throughout your garden.