How to choose cosmos<\/a><\/li>

The best cosmos for containers<\/a><\/li>

How to sow cosmos seeds<\/a><\/li>

Where to grow cosmos<\/a><\/li>

The best cosmos to grow<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
The best cosmos for containers<\/strong><\/p>
The British-bred Apollo Series in carmine, white and pink is the best choice for containers. \u2018Sea Shells\u2019, with each petal rolled into a tube, is striking and especially good in vases, but on the Wisley evidence it deteriorated badly; try the shorter Hummingbird Series instead.<\/li><\/ul>How to grow cosmos <\/h2>
$\"Cosmos$
Cosmos ‘Rubenza’ – \u00a9 Jason Ingram<\/figcaption><\/figure>
When to pinch out cosmos<\/h3>
Once the seedlings have formed two or three pairs of leaves, pinch out the growing tips to produce more bushy plants that will go on to produce more flowers.<\/p>
When to sow cosmos seeds<\/h3>
Sow cosmos seeds in a seed tray or modules in April, in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill. Cosmos can also be sown directly outside where they are to flower, but wait until the middle of May.<\/li>
Transplant the young seedlings to individual 7cm pots.<\/li>
Plant outside in late May or June.<\/li>
Before planting out, acclimatise plants to the outdoors by hardening them off first. Space the plants 30-60cm apart, depending on their eventual height.<\/li><\/ul>
Read our detailed guide to sowing seeds<\/a>.<\/p>
Where to grow cosmos<\/h3>
Grow cosmos in full sun<\/a>, in a sheltered spot, in well drained soil.<\/p>
Caring for cosmos<\/h3>
Regular deadheading<\/a> is crucial to maintaining a continuing display of flowers into September and even October. Both Cosmos bipinnatus <\/i>and Cosmos sulphureus <\/i>are good as cut flowers; pick them when the petals are starting to open (but are not fully open) and change the water every day. Feed cosmos growing in pots with a liquid feed every two weeks.<\/p>
$\"Cosmos$ Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Cupcakes White’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Support may be necessary: smaller cultivars can be supported with brushwood, while taller cultivars need the more solid support of canes and twine.<\/p>
Mildew may prove a problem if the plants are not thinned out or if they are grown in very sheltered situations; free air movement is the best preventative measure in this case.<\/p>
The best cosmos to grow in 2024<\/h2>
Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Antiquity’<\/h3>
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$\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Antiquity’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A shorter, newcomer cosmos variety. The unusual and beautiful single flowers fade from a beautiful rich red to paler \u2018antique\u2019 tones as they age, creating a two-tone effect and with a variety of flower colours at any one time on the plant. As Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Antiquity’ it’s a shorter variety, it doesn’t need staking and is ideal for both borders and containers. Deadhead when the flowers begin to look ragged, or cut regularly for cut flowers \u2013 the blooms should last for 10 days in a vase. A beautiful and easy flower to grow from seed. Height<\/strong> 60cm.<\/p>
<\/div>
Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Cupcakes White’<\/h3>
<\/div>
$\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Cupcakes White’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
For something a bit different, Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Cupcakes White’ has unusual, cupped flowers with pure white petals that are fused into large bowl-shaped flowers that are reminiscent of paper cupcake cases. Some of the flowers may also be pink-tinted or may have split or semi-double flowers. ‘Cupcakes White’ was Voted ‘People\u2019s Favourite’ by the visitors to the cosmos trial at Wisley. Grow Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Cupcakes White’ in a border or in a container. \u2018Cupcakes Mixed\u2019 has a balance of white and pink shades.<\/p>
Height<\/strong> 1.2m.<\/p>
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Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Candy Stripe’<\/h3>
<\/div>
Tall, rather leafy cosmos plants with fresh-green foliage carry single, long-stemmed white flowers, each vividly edged with bright carmine. Some flowers are almost fully white, the variability in the markings adds to the appeal.Height<\/strong> 2m.<\/p>
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Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Double Click Rose Bonbon’<\/h3>
$\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Double Click Rose Bonbon’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Double-flowered cosmos forms can be disappointing. This is the pick from Wisley because although there were very few doubles, the singles and fluted flowers matched perfectly in colour to create a fascinating, rosy-pink blend.Height<\/strong> 1.8m.Buy Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Double Click Rose Bonbon’ from Thompson & Morgan<\/a><\/p>
Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Rubenza’<\/h3> $\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Rubenza’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Deep-red, scarlet or deep-pink single cosmos flowers on tall but prolific plants. Rich colouring and good with silver foliage, the flowers age harmoniously but eventually need regular deadheading.Height<\/strong> 1.5m.Buy Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Rubenza’ from Thompson & Morgan<\/a><\/p>
Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Xanthos’<\/h3> $\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Xanthos’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Very pretty cosmos that is a Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner. The small, mostly single, primrose-yellow flowers have a neat, white ring around the golden eye; a few flowers have extra petals and there are a few white flowers.Height<\/strong> 1m.Buy Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Xanthos’ from Crocus<\/a><\/p>
Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Cosimo Red-White’<\/h3> $\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Cosimo Red-White’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Like a shorter version of \u2018Candy Stripe\u2019, the striking plants are best early and mid-season, while the compact foliage allows the flowers to bloom unhidden. Cruder in colour than the softer, but taller, Cosmos<\/em> \u2018Capriola\u2019.Height<\/strong> 60cm.Buy Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Cosmimo Red-White’ from Kings Seeds<\/a><\/p>
Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Apollo Carmine’<\/h3> $\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Apollo Carmine’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
One of the best cosmos in the Wisley display, short plants carry rich, carmine single flowers that hold their colour well and fade harmoniously into pinkish tones. Good flower shape and size, ideal in large containers.Height<\/strong> 60cm.<\/p>
Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Apollo Pink’<\/h3> $\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Apollo Pink’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Nicely rippled, rose-pink single cosmos flowers face upward from uniformly neat plants, the colour hardly fading before the petals start to drop. An improvement on the similar, but now unacceptably variable, \u2018Sonata Pink\u2019.Height<\/strong> 60cm.<\/p>
Buy Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Apollo Pink’ from Hayloft<\/a><\/p>
<\/div>Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Apollo White’<\/h3> $\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Apollo White’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Large, flat, upward-facing, pure-white flowers on plants of uniform height, Cosmos<\/em> \u2018Apollo White\u2019 flowers consistently from June until well into the autumn. The Apollo Series is the new standard in short cosmos.<\/p>
Height<\/strong> 60cm.<\/p>
Buy Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Apollo White’ from Lazy Flora<\/a><\/p>
Cosmos sulphureus<\/em> ‘Brightness Red’<\/h3> $\"Cosmos$
Cosmos Sulphureus ‘Brightness Red’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Semi-double flowers in vivid reddish orange, with a few orange-flowered plants mixed in. Flowers are sparse at first but prolific later on, and open at various heights on the plant, not only at the top. Seeds are currently hard to track down \u2013 it is mostly available as part of a mix.Height<\/strong> 50cm.Buy Cosmos sulphureus<\/em> ‘Brightness Mixed’ from Thompson & Morgan<\/a><\/p>
Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Capriola’<\/h3> $\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Capriola’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
My favourite, the white flowers are exquisite with their unique pattern: each petal on this cosmos is boldly tipped and edged in magenta pink with a similar ring around the eye. Sadly, it can be variable, and there are some \u2018off\u2019 types.<\/p>
Height<\/strong> 1.2m.Buy Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Capriola’ from Thompson & Morgan<\/a><\/p>
Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Veloutte’<\/h3>Perhaps the most dramatic cultivar, white flowers are tipped and streaked in reddish carmine, though some flowers are almost entirely white and some completely carmine. Eventually this cosmos fades to parched pink, when deadheading is necessary.Height<\/strong> 1m.Buy Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Veloutte’ from Dobies<\/a><\/p>
Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Rosetta’<\/h3> $\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Rosetta’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A new medium-height cultivar with large, mainly semi-double flowers striped in lavender pink and blushed white. Very pretty, early, long-flowering and prolific cosmos, but, strangely, its flowers all face in different directions.Height<\/strong> 1.2m.Buy Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Rosetta’ from Thompson & Morgan<\/a><\/p>
Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Versailles Dark Rose’<\/h3> $\"Cosmos$
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Versailles Dark Rose’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The best of the tallest types of cosmos; the large, single, rich-rose flowers have a dark-red ring around the golden eye. Too tall and leafy for many gardens, but good at the back of the border and for cutting. It is currently hard to track down seed.Height<\/strong> 2.5m.Find Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> ‘Versailles Dark Rose’ through the RHS<\/a><<\/p>
<\/div>Cosmos sulphureus<\/em> ‘Carioca’<\/h3> $\"Cosmos$
Cosmos sulphureus ‘Carioca’<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Wonderful, glowing-orange single cosmos flowers on plants with appealingly open growth, slow to start but prolific later. Lovely interplanted among dark-leaved cannas or dahlias<\/a> for contrast in habit and colour. It is currently hard to track down seed.Height<\/strong> 1m.<\/p>
Find Cosmos sulphureus<\/em> ‘Carioca’ through the RHS<\/a><\/p>
You can find more information on hardiness ratings here<\/a>.<\/p>
Want to grow more flowers from seed? Discover the best sunflowers to grow from seed<\/a>.<\/p>
How to choose the best cosmos<\/h3>
The best varieties of cosmos are usually only available as seeds.<\/p>
Cosmos seed is not a high-value crop, so time is rarely spent ensuring top quality in plants grown from seed of older cultivars that do not attract high prices. This was borne out in the Wisley display, where old cultivars, such as \u2018Sensation Mixed\u2019, \u2018Purity\u2019, \u2018Sea Shells\u2019, \u2018Dazzler\u2019, \u2018Daydream\u2019 and \u2018Versailles Tetra\u2019, flowered late and sparsely, often on uncomfortably tall plants. I would not recommend them.<\/p>
Instead, I would recommend new and recent introductions where a slightly higher price translates into better quality. The one group where this approach fails is the double-flowered Double Click Series, where not one cultivar consistently produces double flowers.<\/p>
Recent introductions also bring us new colours and patterns. Single-flowered, single-coloured Cosmos bipinnatus<\/em> \u2018Rubenza\u2019 in deep red, and Cosmos bipinnatus <\/em>\u2018Xanthos\u2019 and Cosmos bipinnatus <\/em>\u2018Lemonade\u2019 in lemon yellow, stand out. Of the striped types, Cosmos bipinnatus <\/em>\u2018Velouette\u2019 in white and dark red is dramatic. Cosmos bipinnatus <\/em>\u2018Capriola\u2019 is my favourite, with white petals edged in pink and prolific flowers on 1.2m plants.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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When to pinch out cosmos<\/h3>Once the seedlings have formed two or three pairs of leaves, pinch out the growing tips to produce more bushy plants that will go on to produce more flowers.<\/p>

When to pinch out cosmos<\/h3>
Once the seedlings have formed two or three pairs of leaves, pinch out the growing tips to produce more bushy plants that will go on to produce more flowers.<\/p>