Cosmos

Cosmos

We are now in France surrounded by beds of cosmos - another amazing autumn staple for arrangements. Cosmos seedlings were planted out in May, and we've been picking the flowers since August. It is now early September, when the cosmos is at its most abundant.

Our rough guide to planting and growing cosmos:

• Cosmos is an annual that doesn't tolerate frost.
• It's grown from seeds planted in mid April.
• The seedlings appear and grow quickly; they should be planted out in mid-May, fed with plant compost, and staked when they are about knee high.
• When planting out seedlings, space them 80cm apart to allow plenty of room for growth - cosmos spreads out and can grow up to 2m high. It also exists as a short variety that reaches 50-60 cm. We grow mainly tall varieties, 90-120cm high.
• Deadheading is the key to getting the best out of your cosmos.
• You can start picking the flowers in August when the plants are still small, but remember to cut only to the nearest bud.
• When cutting low down into the main branch for large arrangements, deadhead any faded flowers; the buds will develop into flowers.
• Cosmos can last up to three weeks indoors and will produce new blooms provided you keep deadheading and the temperature inside is kept low.

Our Advice:

Cosmos has a shallow root system and is therefore vulnerable to windy weather. To prevent branches from breaking, we recommend staking the plants with bamboo canes pushed into the ground in front of the flowerbeds and between the rows of plants. The canes should be inserted in lines at 1-1.5m intervals and tied together with a string running at two levels - the lower string at knee level and the higher at about 1m high.

Our favourite varieties

Cosmos is a versatile and easy-to-grow plant. It looks great in the garden, works well on its own in flower arrangements, and can add volume and movement to mixed arrangements. In our view it's a perfect starter plant if you decide to grow annuals. These are our favourite varieties of cosmos:

• 'Purity' - bears masses of pure white, single, saucer-shaped flowers and grows to 1.5-1.80cm height, depending on the quality of the soil
• 'Dazzler' - a staple flower for cut flower arrangements, it has deep-pink single petals with a bright-yellow centre; grows to 1m in height
• 'Cupcakes' - a very pretty variety with tutu-like, white or pale-pink single petals
• 'Double Click' - semi-double to double flowers with ruffled petals; it comes in shades of rose, pink or white.

Seed Suppliers

Mr. Fothergill's

Sarah Raven

Thompson & Morgan