In praise of Cosmos

Cosmos is without doubt the plant that keeps my garden going at the end of the summer and into autumn - and this year particularly so, as all the rain we’ve had is making my plants taller and stronger. I grow it from seed every year and use the plants to fill gaps in my borders, squeezing it in to plump everything out and bring much needed colour to the garden at the end of the season. Cosmos comes in shades of white and pink from magenta-crimson to palest sugar-pink, and there are new and changing varieties to choose from every year - more on these below. Because, like dahlias, they grow so fast in a single season, they can be really useful for filling new or revamped borders while you are waiting for other perennials to bulk out. I created a new bed this year that is now bursting with cosmos to create the divide I wanted from the space behind. Once the plants go over in autumn I’ll put in a more permanent planting to establish next year.

Cosmos ‘Dazzler’ flowering in my garden this year