Cosmos Revolve Around the Sun

Few flowers symbolize the long, hot days of summer better than cosmos. With cheery, daisy-like flowers and airy, lacy foliage, this carefree annual lights up any garden.

Cosmos are a popular choice for home gardeners, says Alice Krinsky, trial garden manager with Shepherd’s Garden Seeds, a Torrington, Conn.-based mail-order company that carries a variety of cosmos seeds.

“I think cosmos sell so well because they are pretty and they come in a wide variety of colors,” she says.

Native to Mexico, cosmos are heat lovers that bloom as long as the weather remains warm, usually into October. They can be planted now through early September.

You won’t find cosmos plants in the nursery, only seeds. Mail-order catalogs also carry seeds.

Cosmos grow from one to seven feet. Many make good bouquet flowers, including Early Vega (Cosmos bipinnatus). This has large flowers that bloom in shades of rose, deep pink and white.

Candy Stripe has pink, deep rose or soft white petals covered with soft, magenta-colored stripes.

In dwarf cosmos you’ll find White Sonota, a satin-white flower with a sunny gold center that grows just under a foot. Sunrise cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) are striking orange-golden flowers that seem to float atop fringy foliage.

Though cosmos look delicate, they are surprisingly easy-to-grow, fuss-free plants. Keep the following tips in mind.

* Cosmos can be seeded directly into the ground in a full-sun location or planted in small pots and transplanted when they reach three to six inches high.

If your soil is heavy clay, sow seeds in small containers and then transplant. Whichever method you choose, make sure to keep the soil continuously moist or the seeds will dry out and not germinate.

If you leave the house during the day, cover in-ground planting areas with moist burlap or newspapers to prevent the area from drying out. Containers can be covered with plastic wrap and put in a shady location.

At the first signs of dryness, mist the planting area or containers with water. Seedlings should emerge in about a week.

Once the plantlets come up, immediately remove the protective covering and keep them moist. For the first two weeks, it’s best to shade the seedlings during the day so they don’t dry out.

* Although they need a lot of watering as seedlings, cosmos are fairly drought-tolerant once well established and shouldn’t be over-watered. Let the soil surface dry between watering.

* Cosmos aren’t heavy feeders. If you amend the soil with compost before planting, you don’t have to feed them at all during the growing season. Otherwise, fertilize once with an all-purpose flower food.

* Keep cosmos blooming for a long time by dead-heading. Cut off right under the old flower, leaving the stem intact, as new shoots will grow from the stem and produce flowers.

* Cosmos do well in containers. Plant standard-size plants in a pot that is 18 inches in diameter or larger. Water regularly and feed twice during the growing season.

Find cosmos seeds through the following mail-order sources:

* Shepherd’s Garden Seeds, (860) 482-3638, free catalog.

* W. Atlee Burpee & Co., (800) 888-1447, free catalog.

* Park Seed, (864) 223-7333, free catalog.