Sowing cosmic sunshine
Cosmos are a must for every summer garden, says Ruth
LAST year was a great one for cosmos. I sowed the variety ‘Candy Stripe’, which came free with AG, and they flowered right through the summer and well into the autumn, finally flattened by heavy rains and high winds.
Cosmos is one of my favourite summer annual varieties so I’m delighted to see we are giving more away this year. Cosmos ‘Polidor’ will bring a splash of sunshine to your borders with their citrussy blend of reds, oranges and yellows.
The plants stand 30in (75cm) tall and will produce a mass of single and double flowers above elegant, frondy foliage. The open flowerheads have the added bonus of encouraging bees, butterflies and other pollinators to your garden.
Perfect for filling gaps in borders and also happy when grown in pots if room is limited, Cosmos ‘Polidor’ will delight all summer and through into the autumn.
Cosmos are half-hardy annuals and unlikely to survive a chilly spring, so sow undercover now. This give seedlings time to grow so you can pot them on and harden them off before planting them out after the frosts have finished.
Scatter the large seeds thinly onto the surface of dampened compost, then cover with a thin layer of more compost or vermiculite. Cover the tray with a lid or, if sown in a pot, seal in a clear bag.
Place the seeds somewhere light and warm – a windowsill is ideal – and wait for germination. Remove the lid or unseal the bag and grow on until large enough to prick out into individual pots.