The coming of cosmos

SOMETIMES, the moment is right. Everything comes together and a plant just catches the imagination. This is the time of the cosmos, as a number of factors are combining to grab the attention of more and more gardeners.

First, we always used to treat cosmos as half-hardy annuals and sow the seed in a propagator in March or April for planting out in June. But as our summers have crept forward and the soil has been warming up earlier and earlier, we can now sow cosmos seeds outside in the open garden with confidence. And you can sow them today.

Second, new types have been developed in recent years taking us beyond the elegant simplicity of single flowers