Growing Dark Chocolate

They really do smell like chocolate - dark unsweetened baker's chocolate. The first chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus) was purchased in the fall over a year ago and planted in the rear garden as bare root. It grew, died back for the winter, and was never seen again.

Undaunted, another plant was purchased from Wayside Gardens this spring. It came as a dried out twig in a small pot. After a few weeks on the window sill, it began showing green shoots. Planted in the rear garden again, it is now producing a few flowers. The first was cut and brought indoors to appreciate the rich velvety maroon color and unique aroma. The first good news is that the cut flower lasted over a week.

The plant has a few more blooms now, but by no means are they numerous. It is very tipsy since it lacks strong upright stems. The blooms are about 1-inch (2 cm) across, and the plant is about 10-inches (25 cm) high. A friend of a friend gave up trying to grow this plant in the area after lousy results. I don't know what her problems were, but I observe some yellow spots beginning to appear on leaves, similar to those common to roses and tomatoes in this area. Also, the 'bush' cucumbers are trying to crawl up the plant and need to be disciplined. Just to be safe, a move to a more protected location with more sun will be considered in the fall.

For The Record:   • Medium soil   • Mostly full sun, some shade   • No fertilizer Garden Calendar:   • Blooming: Cosmos, zinnia, nicotiana, nasturtium, cleome, sunflower   • Harvested first tomatoes, cucumbers

July 2009 Bloom Day

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day
What's blooming in the garden on the 15th of each month

Green Nicotiana		Echinacea purpurea (coneflower)

Cosmos sulphureus		Physostgia virginiana (obedient plant)

Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium)

Cleome hassleriana

Waiting On The Frost

The end of the season comes to an abrupt end when the killing frost comes. It is a final exclamation point to the summer season, and signals the time to begin the big cleanup in the yard that includes cutting out the dead material, leaf mulching, and planting spring bulbs. The problem is that this year has seen no killing frost yet. Mid-October is the normal time around here. I hate ripping out plants still growing, even if they are on life support, so I wait.

There is yet some color in the front display garden. The cosmos [27.6.2008] are all but gone, but a few flowers continue on, making them even more striking against the dark brown backdrop of the jumbled mass of dying twigs. Their fiery red color is now a soft warm yellow. The suspicion is that either the cold weather, or short days and lack of sunlight cause them to lose color, or maybe both. At this time of year, several plants, mostly annuals, change from their normal habit and appearance but continue to hang on.

The cannas [24.7.2007] have never multiplied like they did this year. The flowers are not as abundant now, but this variety keeps on giving with their variegated zebra leaves. These leaves are now the eye catcher in the garden because of the size and quantity.

What can be said of these miniature Mexican zinnias (zinnia agustifolia)? These little fellows refuse to give in to the season and continue to look as healthy and fresh as when they were planted. They were purchased in spring to fill in where the grape hyacinth foliage was going to die off. They neatly spread into mounds of ever-blooming color, and continue to this day, fighting to the finish for attention with the canna leaves.

Other holdouts include everlasting green flowering nicotiana [17.7.2007] and purple-leaf basil with its light purple blooms. The purple salvia has also sprung back to life after some cutting back and deadheading last month.

Garden Calendar:   • Blooming: purple salvia, green nicotiana, cosmos, canna, basil, zinnia   • Leaf color change: star magnolia, dogwood, chinese redbud, hostas

The Infinite Cosmos

The Cosmos. Infinite. Who knew that when the 'Sunny Red' cosmos (cosmos sulphreus) were planted from seed over ten years ago, this annual would effortlessly seed itself into infinity and still maintain its fiery red color. Each spring brings a hundred offspring, taking over a front bed that has now become their own and giving new meaning to the word overpopulation. They are given away. They are pulled up and tossed out. And throughout the summer, they grow into their own 4 foot high (1.2 m) shrub. Bumble bees love them almost as much as the neighbors.

I never considered the cosmos a jewel in the garden, but they have drawn more compliments than any other flowering plant. I believe it is their height, easily seen along the front sidewalk and creating a small enclosure on one side, and their numerous red and yellow blossoms that neighbors find appealing. Flowers held above the foliage also help them get noticed.

They start out with lush fern-like leaves and small red flowers containing yellow centers. After a few weeks, the flowers become more numerous. A few more weeks, and the flowers start to become smaller. At this time, it becomes impossible to keep up with beheading the spent dead blossoms and seeds start to form. In the fall, the leaves begin to slowly turn duller green and eventually brown, and fewer and smaller flowers appear. Cutting them back at this time will produce a short burst of fresh new greenery and flowers, but this doesn't last long.

They seldom stray from their bright red color. Once in a while, a hint of yellow or light orange shows up, but the red is fairly consistent. Stems are sturdy and support each other, especially when they are crowded. They are mentioned as cut flowers, but be warned that petals begin falling off after three days. They are not house-broken and love to drop pollen, too.

For The Record:   • Well-drained soil   • Full sun   • Light granular organic fertilizer in spring   • Color & number of flowers get ooo's & aah's Garden Calendar:   • Blooming: calendula, purple & silver salvia, nicotiana, monarda, cosmos,     daylillies, hostas, liatris   • Tomatoes - golf ball size