www.1001TopWords.com |
How to Grow Chocolate Cosmos
Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguinea) is both nose and eye candy for your garden. When it's in full bloom, mature blossoms on long, slender stems look like candy kisses on a stick and fill the late afternoon with the sweet scent of vanilla tinged chocolate. New blossoms hug the foliage of the plant, nearly concealing it with their numbers! Add to that the sweet chocolate fragrance and you end up with something very special. Although chocolate cosmos is endangered in the wild, transplants are easily found at most nurseries and garden centers in the spring. However, gardeners who are inexperienced in how to grow chocolate cosmos may overlook what seem to be small, messy tangles of miniature dahlia leaves, unaware that once established, prolific blossoms nearly conceal the foliage. Once in bloom, chocolate cosmos blossoms continuously throughout the summer into the first frosts of autumn. If you're planning a gothic garden, chocolate cosmos is the plant for you. Sometimes referred to as black cosmos, dark maroon blossoms are so deep in color that they appear brown/black in late afternoon and evening. A native of Mexico, the chocolate cosmos is a half-hardy perennial and a sun loving plant that is moderately drought tolerant. You'll most easily grow chocolate cosmos from transplants purchased at your local garden center or nursery. Large clumps of established plants can also be divided to provide as many as three or four transplants. Plant chocolate cosmos in organically rich, well-drained soil in a location that gets full sun. Keep the transplants moist until they established roots and you see the beginnings of some new growth. In the fall, when foliage dies back, cut plants back to about two inches from the root and over-winter them in a frost-free area. Chocolate cosmos is hardy in zones 7-10. In these zones, you may opt to cover the plants with a cloche to protect them from danger of frost. Hans is an author of Gardening Tips Tricks and Howto's. Hans writes and inspire you to try new ideas from her own experience.
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Sleeping Beauties: Porches For Dreaming There's something magical about sleeping outside, drinking in the night sounds of crickets, frogs and wind chimes, watching fireflies and stars, and feeling the cool night breeze. You'll find children giggling long past their bedtime from sheer excitement. Easter Lilies, and the Number One Gardening Question Right Now Everybody asks about Easter lilies! Can they go outside; can I plant them in my garden? And to this I reply, "Why not?" Like other bulbs, there are two options if you plant your leftover Easter lily bulbs - either they will live and flower for many years (it is perfectly hardy into zone 4) or they will immediately die. If you don't plant the bulb, it will definitely die. So you have nothing to lose by planting. Growing a Sustainable Garden! Do you wish you could grow a sustainable vegetable garden? Now you CAN have a sustainable garden of your own in a very small space. And it can be fun and productive! How to Create a Wildflower Garden In today's gardens often populated by geraniums, roses, and zinnias, wildflowers can provide a simple and graceful flair. Almost any garden or landscape can be beautified by their presence. Not only are wildflowers easy to grow but they possess a natural resistance to pests, disease, and harsh climates. They can survive in clay soil, nutrient poor soil, sandy soil, and practically no soil at all. Once established in their preferred habitat, wildflowers can survive on their own without pruning, weeding, primping, and little or no watering. Using Push Reel Mowers If you're not familiar with push reel mowers or if you haven't used one since "back in the day", there are a few points you should be aware of before using a push reel mower: What to Feed Your Fish During Colder Winter Months With air and water temperatures dropping in most parts of the country, now is the time to greatly reduce the amount of food you are feeding your fish. Come With Me To The Casbah! A ripe persimmon is a thing of beauty ? sweet, succulent and an amazing shade of orange-red. Orange and red continue to be popular colors in decorating this year but 2004's shades are softer and more vibrant, like ripe persimmons and pomegranates. How to Decorate your Outdoor Space without Breaking the Bank Noted English clergyman Sydney Smith (1771-1845) is quoted as saying, "Economy in the estimation of common minds means the absence of all taste and comfort." But finding thrifty ways to decorate your outdoor living space doesn't mean you have to sacrifice either of those things. Here are some ideas to help you: How to Make Your Backyard a Wonderland Oasis Home and garden accessories make the difference between house and home. Unfortunately, quality accessories can be notoriously expensive and in today's economy, finding beauty at a price one can afford is sometimes difficult but can be done. The difference between an empty backyard and a lush garden oasis comes down to the details. Visual and aural grace notes can transform any space. How To Mow A Lawn Although push lawn mowers are wonderful machines that do a great job in keeping the lawn looking lush and well groomed, sometimes you need something with a bit more power to get the job done. How to Control Deer in Your Garden Deer are the most difficult of all pests to deter from agarden. They love many different plants. Flowers,vegetables, trees and shrubs are all on their menu. A Few Simple Facts About Purple Martins Purple Martins are the largest member of the swallow family.However, in flight their wings are more triangular than other swallows. Lawn Edging How do you make those flowers bloom where they are planted and not go overboard and how do you make your turf stick to its own turf and not edge into your flower beds, borders, and garden spaces? Lawn edging is the answer! Winter Gardening As the end of summer approaches, unfortunately far too quickly, all is not lost for gardening with some great ideas on bringing a piece of your garden indoors and creating a winter garden. Buying Teak Wood Furniture Responsibly Teak has many qualities that make the indoor and outdoor furniture made out of this a coveted high value asset. They last for generations. The durable nature is due to the hard grain nature of the tree. These are a high demand items in many parts of the world. The prices are sky-rocketing and unless you get it from the source you are going to pay a huge price to add this to your Home Collection. The products made out of teak wood have a pleasant smell unlike other untreated wooden furniture. The hard nature of the wood makes it easier to work with by the craftsman creating unique patterns and designs. You could have come across the priced museum collections of old south Asian kingdom there is teak in most of them. This has the ability to create smooth patterns and complex designs because of the properties of the wood. They don't create splinters like other wood and hence the furniture is safe. The smooth finishes created by the craftsmen can be enjoyed by many generations as it is more resistant to rot and other damages. How to Grow Basil Today there are sprays, scented candles, plug-ins, and even discs that promise to freshen your air by putting a variety of aromas into your home. However, when you know how to grow basil, you can have enough variety of fragrance to package your own potpourri! The most commonly grown basil is the annual, ocimum basilicum that carries a minty fragrance that smells like? well, it smells like sweet basil. In addition to having a wonderful fragrance, sweet basil is an essential ingredient in soups, stews, pesto sauce, and just about any tomato dish. Knowing how to grow basil is a must for every herb gardener. You can grow herbs both indoors and outdoors Orchid Care - What The Root Tells Us Orchid Care Part 4 Diseases of the Roots Cast Aluminum Furniture In days gone by, outdoor furniture was cast from iron. Today, cast aluminum furniture is used more often. Cast aluminum carries all of the grace and charm of cast furniture, but avoids the blight of rust and peeling paint. The Swallowtail -- A Beautiful Butterfly Swallowtail butterflies are some of the most beautiful butterflies found anywhere. The North American species are large, brightly colored butterflies with tailed, rear wings. There are more than 600 species worldwide with only about 30 of those living in North America. They have wingspans of 2 to 5 ½ inches long. Teak Adirondack Chairs Outdoor furniture constructed with teak wood is a favorite among consumers due to the beauty and durability of the individual pieces. For this reason, a wide variety of outdoor furniture is made using teak ranging from teak Adirondack chairs to classic, formal furnishings. |
© Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |