A. Heliantheae cosmos bipinnatus

Sometimes, I must admit, I don't really notice flowers. I am blessed to be a florist and have an abundant selection of flowers around me every day. Every few days my lovely wife Mia brings a bouquet into my office for the corner of my desk. Today, there is a vase of short stemmed roses in a cobalt blue vase. Sometimes there are orchids, sometimes carnations. Almost always, it is a single variety of flower arranged in a mass style arrangement, without a secondary flower, such as Martha Stewart made popular and which I have a preference for.  Rarely are there mixtures of flowers as that is not the type of bouquet I prefer and my wife is good to me.  Sadly, while I enjoy flowers and always have plenty of them in my home and office I sometimes fail to notice them individually.

Recently, Mia planted an area at the back of our lot with a variety of flowers of which one was Cosmo bipinnatus. My son, Sterling, took a few pictures of the flowers when they started blooming. Wow! I really fell in love with these gorgeous flowers.  Cosmos are in the Aster Family and related to Sunflowers as are Artichokes, Zinnias and Coreopsis, and grow as annuals or on the Central Coast as perennials. 

Bright, intricate and easy to grow, Cosmos are native to Mexico and grow throughout the southern United States. Some have been naturalized to Santa Barbara County and grow wild.

Cosmos cut well and will provide 7 to 10 days of enjoyment as a cut flower.

Propagation: Cosmos are grown from large seeds which germinate quickly. Cosmos normally grow to five feet in a season. Sow directly into the garden in early Spring or start seedings earlier indoors. Space plants 12 inches apart.

How to Grow: Cosmos prefer full sun and will tolerate partial shade. They will do well in both average and poor soils. They are drought tolerant. Do not over water to avoid mildew. Taller plants may require staking.

Insect and Disease: Not known.