'Double Click' Mix

Cosmos seed requires no prior treatment. How to Sow Sow in the garden, April through May.
Sow indoors, March-April.

There are 3 ways you can sow:

1. From the end of April through May - sow directly in the garden, preferably in full sun. Loosen the soil with a fork to at least 30 cm deep. Draw a straight furrow 1 cm deep and label the row. Drop the seeds along the row and cover with a thin layer of soil (Cosmo needs the dark to germinate). Press lightly down and sprinkle with water. Extra rows at 30 cm apart. A length of twine along the row at a few cm high will give young plants some support.
2. Indoors, use a propagator on the window-sill, or trays in a cold-frame. Use seeding compost and 1 seed per pot. Cover the seed with 1 cm soil (needs the dark to germinate), press lightly down and sprinkle with water. Heat will do the rest. Pot up if they get too big before mid-May, after which they can be planted outdoors. Hold growth back by standing them in a cooler, but light spot.
3. Sow them just where you want them to grow - here and there in the border or in pots. Do sow thinly and do not cover too deeply. Press lightly down and sprinkle with water.

The seed will germinate in 7-14 days and are not frost resistant so do use some garden fleece as protection.

Water extra during dry periods, keep the bed weed-free and your cosmos will thrive. They are fairly undemanding but do not like to have their 'feet' too wet. They even do well in poor soil. ’Double Click’ flowers in the spring and autumn, right up to the first frosts. Keep dead heading to promote reflowering. Do not feed if you want lots of flowers!

If not planted close to other plants the cosmos will thank you for some form of support as these tall plants can sometimes get blown over Flowering Flowers August-October - May-June if sown early.

Cosmos makes a great cut flower! Just cut the long stems for a lovely summery bouquet. Keep deadheading to encourage reflowering.

Cosmos bipinnatus is an annual that grows gorgeous radiating flower heads and grows to 80-120 cm high. It is a member of the Compositae or Asterideae family.

Cosmos bipinnatus has lovely double flowers in terrific shades. The leaf is unusually finely feathered and very ornamental. This is a popular border plant and is great for filling those unwanted empty spaces. Can also hold its own among tall perennials and so ideal to fill spaces between them too.

Cosmos bipinnatus is what we call a short day plant - this means it will flower when the days are shortest (less than 12 hours sunlight per day). If sown early (February), it could flower before the summer and then again in autumn!

This plant originated in Mexico where the plant can grow to 1.5 m high in its natural habitat!