Beyond pink

The pink-and-white 'Sensation' mix is everywhere, but cosmos have got far more interesting. Try: 'Apricot Lemonade' (peach blushed with pink), 'Xanthos' (creamy yellow, the first true-yellow cosmos), 'Purity' (pure white), 'Rubenza' (deep ruby aging to dusty rose), 'Daydream' (white with pink eye), 'Cupcakes' (cupped, like little vintage saucers).

For pots, choose dwarf 'Sonata' series (40–60 cm). For cutting beds, taller 'Sensation', 'Versailles' or 'Cupcakes' (1.2 m).

Two other species worth trying: Cosmos sulphureus (orange/yellow, more compact, heat-loving) and Cosmos atrosanguineus (the chocolate cosmos — a perennial in mild zones, smells genuinely of dark chocolate).