All the Dirt on Gardening

Very few carefree flowers of summer delight so many people as the simple Cosmos. Their name evokes their appearance in the garden since the word Cosmos comes from the Greek word meaning orderly, beautiful and balanced. Cosmos plants are members of the Asteraceae or Aster and Sunflower plant family and are native to Mexico, Central America and the southern US. With new breeding, the 25 species range from tall and willowy plants to spreading and branched annuals. The flowers are single and double, and come in bright colors from yellows and oranges to pinks and reds plus white. The flower shapes include saucers, bowl, open cup, and tubular.   Most of the flowers measure 2-inches across though some of the side branching blooms are smaller. In Mexico, Cosmos were known to be grown by Spanish priests Cosmos atrosanguineus who gave them the name in recognition of their balanced petals. The priests claimed that they exuded cosmic beauty and harmony. Cosmos atrosang...

Butterflies enjoy the flowers and birds love the seeds. Coreopsis is easy to grow from seed and all manner of varieties are available as plants. They love heat and sun and succeed in dry locations. Perennial varieties are cold hardy to zone 5. Annual varieties re-seed and return but not enough to become pests - the birds eat too many of the seeds for that. Coreopsis comes in tall, short and groundcover. They all bloom profusely and make a sweet cut-flower bouquet. The bright yellow native one above is about 4-feet tall. Like pink flowers? Coreopsis American Dream is a thread leaf variety - pink flowers with yellow centers. The 1993 flower of the year in the Netherlands. Coreopsis Dream Catcher is another pink flowering variety. 14-18 inches tall and 18-inches tall Coreopsis Autumn Blush has dark centered peach colored flowers on 24 by 24 inch plants. Coreopsis lanceolata Baby Sun is only 16 by 16 at maturity - bright yellow flowers. Coreopsis Big Bang Cosmic Eye lives up to its name! C...