Cosmos x bipinnatus Double Click Bicolour Pink

Cosmos 'Double Click Bicolour Pink' is an annual variety that forms large, frilly pompom flowers in a mix of pink and white. The colours of the 'Bicolour Pink' flowers vary greatly in the proportion of pink and white, creating the pleasant effect of a profusion of unique flowers. They range from white flowers with dark pink edges to flowers completely washed in pale-pink to flowers with a soft, creamy white colour and just a touch of pastel pink. This cosmos is impressive in an English-style mixed border garden and is stunning in bouquets. This fast-growing annual blooms for several weeks in summer and autumn and requires minimal maintenance.

The Double Click series of cosmos comes in several colours. All plants in this selection are floriferous and produce mostly fully double flowers that attract bees and butterflies. They are derived from an annual species native to Mexico and the southern United States, Cosmos bipinnatus. A non-hardy annual plant related to dahlias, this species belongs to the Asteraceae family and has a distinctive inflorescence in the form of a head and particularly fine foliage, which is compound and reminiscent of fennel. The 'Double Click Bicolour Pink' variety quickly forms clumps 80 to 90cm (32 to 35in) tall and 45 to 50cm (18 to 20in) wide. Flowering begins in June-July, 60 to 90 days after sowing. It lasts until October, only ceasing with the first frosts. The heads measure 5 to 7cm (2 to 3in) in diameter and are composed of several layers of crinkled petals in varying shades of pink and white. The centre of the head is a golden disk composed of tiny fertile florets. It attracts and feeds numerous insects and butterflies, including the monarch butterfly. The foliage is finely divided into thread-like segments, barely 0.5 to 1mm wide, and has a slight and pleasant fragrance. After flowering, the plant produces somewhat bristly spindle-shaped black achenes. Birds (especially goldfinches) will enjoy pecking at the remaining seeds.

Do not be fooled by its apparent fragility! Cosmos 'Double Click Bicolour Pink' is easy to grow. It blooms reliably in poor soil, heat, and humidity. Give it sunshine and it will flower no matter what. It is perfect for romantic settings or English gardens. Cosmos flowers are ideal for beginners, and are almost impossible to fail with. It is a tall plant that adds verticality to borders and lightness to heavier perennial blooms. During flowering, the plant may sag under its weight due to wind or rain. This problem can be solved by grouping the plants so that the leaves interlock. It is used in cottage-style borders, mixed with grasses such as Stipa tenuifolia, Verbena 'Buenos Aires', and nigellas, or among perennials that love the sun as much as it does, such as echinaceas and dahlias. Its flowers have excellent vase life.