Other Years

2022
June 11: Ben planted a long row of them along the fence. Some Doubleclicks, some Dwarf Sonata, and some Gold.
August 20: No sprouts, or maybe 2. I can't tell if they're marigolds or Gold cosmos.
December 31: They weren't cosmos. No cosmos this year.
 
2019
December 31: I scattered seeds of the gold flowered Dwarf Cosmos mixed variety in the raised bed and had a good display.
 
2021
May 19: I planted a long row of them along the fence.
31: Some sprouts.
June 7: Enough sprouts except at the south end.
 
2020
March 30: I bought new seeds of Doubleclick mixed. Then I found I had a packed of them already.
May 25: I planted seeds along the house. In each spot I put 2 new seeds and 2 old seeds. One of the seed packages says to plant 3 or 4 seeds in each spot and, apparently, let them all grow.
June 2: 1 sprout.
10: I resowed the vacant spots.
July 13: I weeded along the house and found that the weeds had choked out the cosmos. Only 2 left.
August 11: No Doubleclicks left along the house. Too dry and too many weeds. However, there is a patch of the gold-flowered variety in the calendula bed.
 
2018
December 31: No information.
 
2017
June: I planted Doubleclick seeds.
June: I bought 12 plants of Sonata mixed and planted them along the fence and against the house.
July 12: There are 2 plants from seeds. The Sonatas are doing OK. They were large to set out with root systems that were not big enough for survival in the garden, but with showery weather and some watering, they have survived.
 
2014
June 17: I planted seeds collected last year.
 
2013
June 3:I sowed seed from last year in their bed. Unfortunately most of the seed is mouldy. There were 3 volunteer plants, which I spread out.
12:The seeds have sprouted. There should be enough if I move some.
July 3: First flower.
September 23: They are flowering nicely now.
 
2012
September 16:A few plants are giving a nice display now.
 
2011
May 27: I sowed seeds along the house.
June 4: Half the row has sprouted.
September 27:A few plants are giving a nice display now.
 
2010
May 30: I sowed seeds along the house.
June 17: Good germination and sprouts are coming along.
 
2009
May 31: I seeded Doubleclicks along the west side of the house, where I’ve had cosmos before. This year, however, I laid down newspaper and cut openings in it for the seeds. The bed was not dug and mulching heavily might improve the fairly poor soil, and the newspaper will help cut down on the splatter and erosion from rain running off the roof.
July 4: About half of the openings produced plants.
August 3: Coming along but quite slowly.
15: First flower.
September 16: A few flowers.
29: Many flowers.
 
2008

Cosmic Orange Cosmos, 2008

February 6: I ordered more Doubleclick seeds from Stokes.
May 24: I seeded using my 4 seeds from last year. I must look for the new ones!
June 2: I couldn't find my new seeds, so I bought some award-winning Cosmic Orange plants from LaCoste nurseries.
3: I set them out.
4: I found some volunteer Doubleclicks in their old spot, and moved them to the new spot.
5: First Cosmic Orange flower.
16: I moved 3 more volunteer Doubleclicks.
October 8: The Cosmic oranges are done, but the Doubleclicks have been flowering very nicely for a few weeks now.
 
2007
April 8: I bought a package of the Doubleclick variety of seeds at T&T.
May 13: I sowed 2 rows of seeds, one along the house and one in the garden. I spaced the seeds about 30 cm apart because I believe the competion in that rich soil causes them to flower. Otherwise they just grow foliage.
21: Sprouts today in both rows.
June 24: Doing fine. There are a few volunteers here and there too.
September 8: The plants along the house are flowering beautifully, but the plants near the sunflowers seem to be stunted and not developing full-length flower stems.
 
2006
May 31: I bought a package of Sensation Mixed at Giant Tiger yesterday for 20 cents, and sowed them today in the hollyhock bed, which was largely empty.
However I then moved 3 volunteer hollyhocks into it so there isn't much space for those cosmos!
August 1: The plants are medium size. There is one flower bud. I am hoping that being crowded will force them to flower.
October 31: There was a modest number of flowers.
 

Cosmos, 2005

2005
June 2:  I bought some seedlings of Sensation at Canadian Tire and planted them along the west side of the house. The soil is poor there; perhaps they will flower.
July 7:  Coming along.
17:  A windstorm yesterday evening has caused them all to tip over.
27:  They are large but there are no buds yet.
September 4:  Two plants are flowering, but the others do not have any buds.
 
2002
June 9:  I planted some seeds from 1995 in the south perennial bed, as the rudbeckia is not coming well there.
September 7:  No sprouts.
 
1999
June 15: I bought a packet of Pink Sonata seeds today, and planted all 25 seeds along a side of the garden.
20: Sprouts.
June 5: Only 9 sprouts. I moved 2 to separate them all.
June 30: Coming along.
August 3: Most plants are coming along. Some are still rather small.
21: One flower, on one of the smallest plants!
September 21: There were a few flowers before the first frost last night.
30: Only a few flowers this year, but they were planted late.
 
1997
~May 1: Started 3 6-paks of Early Sensation Mixed,
26: 9 plants set out.
August 7: Lots of foliage but no flowers!
December: Scarcely any flowers. Soil too rich??
 
1995
May 9: I planted cosmos seeds along the fence. The seeds were 20% Psyche from 1991 and 80% garden seeds from 1993. I put about 3 seeds in each hole, spaced about 16 inches apart. I had this strip rototilled yesterday and had a lot of last summer's grass clippings, undecomposed or partly decomposed, worked in.
23: No seedlings.
24: 5 seedlings.
June 5: There were only 7 plants from seed, so I bought plants of the seashell variety and planted them. There are some volunteers in the garden.
July 7: Some malicious person uprooted or broke off 25 plants. I replanted those I could, and replaced some with volunteers, and they are recovering, but are well behind the others. Only 1 is flowering, the others are not even budding yet; perhaps it's a different variety.
29: Only 1 flowering, still.
December 31: Very few flowers last summer. July heat?
 
1994
April 20: Planted 24 cosmos seeds.
26, May 12: Only 1 sprout.
June 20: None left.
21: 2 volunteers transplanted.
August 17: Starting to flower.
 
1993
August 18: 1 plant is in flower.
September 4: There are some blossoms.