Planting Cosmos – The cheats method

For me, cosmos is, the classic cut flower. They don’t take huge amounts of effort to grow and they always reward with lots of gorgeous flowers. As a result, cosmos is always on my shopping list for the Summer. It’s such a pretty flower, coming in a range of colours, and I challenge you not to find one that will work in your garden. The best part is it’s not too late to plant, so why not follow my cheat’s guide to planting them, known as the ‘very last-minute method way’!

Direct sowing

• Cosmos need good, well-drained s and lots of sunshine to thrive. Therefore, the first and most vital step is to make sure you are sowing them somewhere they will get these conditions.
• If you have been a little more organised than me and have started to grow your seeds under cover then you most probably are at the stage of transferring your cosmos directly into your border. However, if you are adopting my last minute method then you will now be sowing the seeds directly into your border. 

The ‘how to’

• Prepare the soil before planting by raking it. You should aim for a fine, crumbly consistency. 
• Once you have done this, create a little trench for you to pop the seeds into. The beauty of cosmos seeds is that they are quite big, making them easy to handle.

• Pop the seeds into the trench, spacing them about 5–8cm (2–3in) apart.
• Then add a very light dusting of soil over them, sieving it first.  Then you need to water well. Don’t forget to add a label so you remember where you have planted them.

• About three weeks later, the seedlings should have popped up. 
• Once they get going, don’t forget to pinch out the growing tip of each stem to encourage them to branch and produce more flowers.
• At this stage I also add a few stakes to support them as they grow (they can get very tall). 
• Don’t forget to water regularly. I do this daily and also give them a liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks throughout the Summer. 

It really is as simple as this, and you can still buy seeds or jumbo seedlings from garden centres. 

If you are local to me then Folies (@foliesofstansted) have got some available – you will need to get there before me though! 

 All you now need to do is, watch, wait but most importantly – enjoy.

With love and stay safe, Flowers and Lifestyle by Margot – 

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