Schoolhouse - It's gorgeous. Does it say how tall it gets and when it starts blooming? I grew cosmos last year from seed and they got over 6 feet tall and didn't bloom until well into October. Then 3 weeks later frost killed them. Very disappointing. Sure would like something shorter and earlier.
Kris

Hi, kiddo (love saying that!)- catalog says 24" to 36". Pack of 50 seeds for $2.45. I think I'll order some, but because I'm trying not to use my credit card I'll do it snail mail with a check. There's a chance they might sell out before it gets there however.

Yes, I know what you mean about the 6' plants. I had the same thing the year before last - they were like tree saplings when I went to pull them out of the ground! But the tops with blooms were easily knocked down by the wind,ect.

I LOVE the tall cosmos, but wind can really be a problem.
I have the best luck with the tall cosmos varieties if grown in poorer, drier soil like wildflowers.
1. they don't get as tall;
2. the ground gets hard when it is dry and the wind cannot blow them over so easily (like in the wild)
3. plant en mass - in good soil. Don't thin them out - they help hold each other up.

That is a very pretty and unique looking Cosmos, but I like the simple petaled ones best. - the little child in me, I suppose. :)

Annie

Kiddo - if they had really thick stems as well, they got too much fertilizer with a high first number, like something you'd feed you lawn with.....this used to happen to a friend of mine till she quit her lawn service. We called them 'killer cosmos'.

Nancy.

I saw that same cosmos flower just recently in one of the many catalogs arriving daily. It reminds me of a peony!

It's really pretty!

Can the bees get inside that mass of bloom? :-)

Cameron

I just saw this one as well and will probably have to try it although I agree that the simpler single cosmos probably best represent the real charm of the plant. There are some types that are short and I have grown them. In my experience they seem to poop out by the end of the summer while some of the tall ones just keep getting bigger and bigger and bloom until frost. I also try and limit them to my lean and dry areas where they seem to do better.

For years, I planted them behind the mailbox at the edge of the road, the common single ones. They never grew over 3', and people would often stop and ask me what flower they were. And there are always a few flowering stalks that will make their way INTO the paper box via some small hole. Also like the seashell variety. Now I switch between cosmos and zinnias.

I agree with sweetannie that they prefer poor soils, because come to think of it my problems with the cosmos began when I added rich compost to that mailbox bed.

My tall cosmos that came in a wildflower mix:

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See? No flop, even though they grew to well over 5-6 feet tall. I just threw the seeds out on the ground in early March. They all came up and thrived with no pampering. I gave them a little compost in July and watered only when there was no rainfall for long periods of time. These Cosmos bloomed from May all the way to frost. By August, even though they had lost a lot of their leaves, they continued to bloom and smell so sweet.

This same principle works with the tall Shasta Daisies and Sunflowers, too. If the soil is not poor enough and tending towards dry & well drained, they will grow too tall, their root mass too shallow, and they will flop over when they become top-heavy with flowerheads. They are subject to the wind and rain. In nature, you seldom see this problem. Wildflowers bounce & bob in the wind and ripple in waves like water, but don't flop over.

Use your enriched super-duper MiracleGrow garden & potting soil in your veggie garden for tomatoes and around your roses where it is wanted and needed. Show your cosmos you love them by planting them in poorer soil. Water them sparingly and only give them a little compost.

~ Annie

Guess my problem (the cosmos ;-)) is that I put lots of compost in every bed every year. And that's where the cosmos gets planted. Yes, they got gigantic last year. One was over 7' and even the one in the plain dirt got 5' and all of them had to be staked against the wind. I didn't mind that so much. It was the lateness and the briefness of the blooms. I love the open friendly flowers. I just need to find some that will be short and early.
Kris

EVERYONE should grow Cosmos!

They are the flower of LOVE.

I will have to try some of these Rose Bonbon Cosmos though. They remind me of Pincushions! Pretty!

Kris, I had good luck with the shorter Cosmos called "Picotte". Mine had white or soft pink flowers with deep pink to magenta petal tips. They were about 3-4 feet tall and when planted amongst other flowers stood up to our fierce Okie winds pretty good. They bloom very early and last through the summer. Very pretty. I planted them and White Cosmos in with big Gloriosa Daisies, blue salvias and Magenta Bee Balm (Monarda). I adore the white ones.

I tried some new varieties in late summer (...well, new to me anyway). Will grow those colors again this spring. One was a Chocolate color and another had tawny honey colored flowers. Another one is called "Day Dreams" that was just gorgeous. Both were under 3 feet tall. Some stood tall and some fell over. So I will plant them thickly like they grow in the wild.

Going to plant Cosmos up in the meadow this year too. They can take the harsh Oklahoma summer heat, the winds and dry spells and they can reseed and spread about all they want up there in great abandon. :)

Annie
~ a Flower Child of the 60s who still loves cosmos and daisies

Annie - thanks for the suggestions! Every year it seems we have more and more wind (must be that global warming thing) and my taller plants take a beating. I'm staking more than I used to.
Kris

Some of my cosmos I let flop. They sorta snake through other shorter flowers and keep blooming.

I have never had an issue with cosmos but they tend to get seeded in infertile areas where they get no nutrients and water by me. They definitely are a plant that doesn't like fertile soil.

I saw that same photo and was admiring it. My cosmos do fine in my rich soil. They get very tall, and by leaving several together, they support each other.

My (white) cosmos got huge last year. I was wondering about cutting them back - would that help? I love them and will always grow them. Cosmos, sweet peas and zinnias are my favorites.

I know from my experience last year that too much nitrogen produces a lot of growth, but no flowers. The ones that I moved from the backyard wildflower bed did much better than those I pampered. They were shorter, but flowered all the way til frost. I also realize now that I need LOTS more than what I planted. And planting them closer seems to help. Whenever I saw seeds, I grabbed and scattered. I expect to be overwhelmed this year. :)