Tip #8: Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Cosmos bring a joyful, airy elegance to any sun-baked garden space. Featuring deeply cut, lacy green foliage and large, simple, daisy-like blossoms, these plants look incredibly delicate. However, their fragile appearance hides a rugged constitution native to the hot, arid scrublands of Mexico. Cosmos actually prefer a “tough love” approach to gardening, punishing you with weak stems if you coddle them too much.
These fast-growing annuals sprout quickly from seed and rapidly reach heights anywhere from two to five feet, depending on the specific cultivar. They require minimal soil preparation and completely ignore soaring temperatures. Give them a deep soak at the base of the plant once a week during severe, prolonged droughts, and they will reward you with an endless supply of bright blooms.
Broadcast Cosmos seeds directly into your garden beds in the spring. Never apply supplemental fertilizer to your Cosmos plants. Excess nitrogen tells the plant to focus entirely on producing massive amounts of green leaves, which completely halts flower production. Cut the flowers frequently for indoor bouquets; the more blossoms you remove, the more aggressively the plant produces new buds.
