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COSMOS GUIDES
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universe are first-class flower for ornamental and wildlife - attracting garden , or even for your vegetable plot .
These flowering industrial plant are extremely popular in British garden – and with good reason .
Cosmos bipinnatus‘Picotee’
“ Cosmos is an absolute must for me and my garden , ” says Garden Designer Ann - Marie Powell .
“ I grow it every individual twelvemonth without fail . ”
It is a coarse garden plant life in temperate climes and is therefore often referred to as garden cosmea .
Overview
PreferredFull Sun
ExposureMostly Sheltered
Height0.5 – 2 thou
Spread0.1 – 0.5 MB
Bloom TimeJune – October
PreferredAny soil types
MoistureMoist but well - debilitate
pHAny
Cosmos can be herbaceous perennials or annual ; the species in this genus are native to North and South America – with Kew listing 35 accepted species.1Cosmos . ( n.d . ) . Kew Royal Botanic Gardens . Retrieved March 14 , 2023 , fromhttps://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:8410-1
Most of the species grown in the UK are varieties or cultivars of eitherC. bipinnatusorC. sulphureus .
Garden cosmos , C. bipinnatus , is a half - hardy one-year , though it is common for the plants to ego - germ in many situations and so it is rough-cut for them to return over a act of age .
Cultivated varieties come in a image of hues , from white , through pink , to thick purpleness – this is a common garden plant life for the UK .
Cosmos bipinnatus‘Picotee’
Another creation common in UK gardens isC. sulphureus , ‘ yellow existence ’ .
This is another half - hardy annual with flowersin many warm sunstruck colours of yellow , orangish and cerise .
Their altitude can vary substantially , and there are some dwarf material body .
‘Sulfur yellow’ Cosmos
The perennialC. atrosanguineus(otherwise known as ‘ chocolate cosmos ’ ) is not reliably hardy in UK garden , but can be overwintered successfully in some area – provided the foot of the plant is covered with a 15 cm boneheaded mulch of straw , dry leaves , or other such textile to protect it from the frigidity .
It is safe to grow these plants in pots and bring indoors over wintertime , or overwinter cuttings .
It has fragrant flowers , with a similar perfume to chocolate .
Why Grow Cosmos?
Of course cosmos of the types mentioned above are smashing cosmetic plant – choose for their attractive flush that can really clear up a garden .
you’re able to not only bask the blooms in your garden , but also inside your home , as these can also make excellent shortened flower .
But aesthetic are not the only reason cosmos could be a right idea where you exist .
The main reason why cosmos can be a wonderful garden plant life is thatthe flowers are in bloom for a relatively farsighted period , and are dandy for draw a wide range of beneficial insect to your garden .
They will draw in bee , butterfly and other pollinators ; whilst also attracting predatory insect like lady beetle and hover - flies which run through aphids and other pest species and help to keep their numbers in balance .
The plants themselves are also seldom troubled by pests or disease , and so can be a very useful works for those who want to enjoya comparatively scurvy - alimony garden .
They can boom easily even in comparatively difficult acquire conditions , and as you will find out below , there are batch of places you could potentially engraft them .
thing are made even easier by the fact that when they are grown in the good circumstance , one-year existence will often readily self - seed – so you may sow in them once and expect them again the following year without any surplus work on your part .
you could also very easily collect the seed from open - pollinated cosmos to inseminate yourself the following year . distinction , however , that hybrid cultivars will not usually be ‘ true to type ’ , so what the seeds will develop into can be something of a lottery .
One last matter to note is that if you prefer organic seeds , and cultivate your prime without the use of harmful pesticides or fertilisers , the pretty petals ofC. sulphureusflowers can also be eaten.2Cosmos Edible Flowers . ( n.d . ) . Nurtured in Norfolk . Retrieved March 14 , 2023 , fromhttps://nurturedinnorfolk.co.uk/product/cosmos-edible-flowers/
They can be add to brighten up a mixed summer salad .
Choosing Cosmos
There are , as mentioned above , a broad range of varieties and cultivars of creation to pick out from .
C. bipinnatusandC. sulphureusprovide many of the flowers that are most usually grown in UK gardens .
Some cosmos to consider are :
Of naturally , there are plenty more options to opt from , including the recurrent chocolate cosmos .
If you are face to take advantage of the plant ’s power to pull and benefit pollinator , then individual - heyday type cosmos are right , though there are also double - flowered cultivars to consider for decorative blooms .
How To Grow Cosmos
Cosmos will grow well in most typical garden soil , as long as they are in full Sunday , and as long as the footing does not get too damp and waterlogged .
Though they can deal with relatively dry and depressed - nutrient soil , they will not like a very dry , very piteous site – and they for certain wo n’t thrive in heavy , soaked soils .
As long as the soil is moist but loose - draining and there is full sun , your plants should do well – just keep them out of shade .
Remember , these plants are native to much warmer clime .
If you do have heavy soil or struggle to find a suitable spot , it is also worthwhile study that you could also grow shorter cultivars in containers .
In terms of fellow traveller planting , cosmea can be a enceinte selection for scattering throughout or around the edges of your vegetable patch .
Since they pull pollinator , they can often work well for polyculture planting dodge – perhaps alongside other great flowers for your kitchen garden admit marigold , calendula , borage , nasturtiums etc .
Cosmos look nifty in many ornamental schemes , particularly , arguably , in meadow - manner planting – perhaps alongsideVerbena bonariensis , Nicotiana , and wisplike cosmetic grasses , for example .
Cosmos can also work well with other showy prime like dahlias , or zinnias , for example , in an decorative border or planter .
Cosmos seeds are sow in spring .
you’re able to aim sow the seeds where they are to rise from later in leaping , or you’re able to start them in territory blocks , plug , modules or small tidy sum satisfy with free - draining seed compost in early spring .
Seeour guide to sowingfor more information .
If you do sow in pots , pot on the seedlings as soon as they are big enough to wield , then plant them out in late April or May after the last frost engagement in your sphere .
If you are maturate grandiloquent cultivars , these should ideally be grown in a more sheltered position ; even where they are , they may still require staking or some other form of musical accompaniment .
to avoid damage to antecedent system , it is a serious estimate to have supports in station before you establish out your universe .
In certain areas , it may also be a beneficial idea to provide slug protection for young plants just after they are planted out .
Long terminus , the good direction to control slugs in your garden is to hike natural biodiversity and further plenty of the wildlife that eats them .
Cosmos Care
As mentioned above , cosmos are comparatively low-spirited - maintenance plants and will take little care .
Often they can bloom from June right through to the first frosts in fall .
They will only need watering in dry conditions , and should flower over a retentive flow with little oeuvre .
Note : call back that if you are growing in container rather than in the background you will usually need to water your plants more oft .
for ensure that the cosmos you are mature flower well , it can be a good theme to feed them with an organic liquid plant provender a few times during the summer months , though this is not an absolute requisite and often cosmos will bloom pretty well without any such treatment .
As with many other inflorescence plants , it is also a good mind to deadhead regularly in rules of order to keep the plants bloom over as long a menses as potential .
Of naturally , you may also take the blooming to employ as thinned flowers in your home , and perhaps even , if you are growing organically , glean a few of the petal for salads .
At the destruction of the season , as seed form , you may leave the plants to self - germ by nature , or you may collect the cum from yearly cosmos varieties to plant next year .
If you are growing the perennial chocolate cosmea , then you could divide the genus Tuber .
As mentioned above , these will require winter protection , and in cooler and more northerly areas , it may be best to lift the plants for store over the winter months , so they can be winter indoors .
When you lift the plant for storage , this would be a good clock time to propagate the fledged specimens by tuber division .
The chocolate cosmos , Cosmos atrosanguineus , can be propagated by basal cutting , ” order Master Horticulturist Peter Lickorish .
“ These are harvested in the spring as newfangled ontogeny appears .
“ Thoroughly irrigate the works about an hour beforehand .
“ Then take a third of the novel shoot , and reduce flawlessly to dirt level with a knife or secateurs . Place them immediately , half their distance deep , in pots of moist compost .
“ Given unconstipated watering , a cool position indoors out of unmediated sun , they should root within a brace of weeks . ”
By now , you should see more clearly why creation can be such great ( and pretty soft ) flowers to produce , and perhaps you will consider arise some in your garden .
