The Beautiful Flower To Grow With Cosmos In Border Gardens

Border gardens are perfect for lining pathways and adding charm along fences and property lines. If a whimsical cottage style border garden is what you are looking for, then few plants are better than cosmos. Pairing them with other flowers and plants that grow in similar conditions is the trick to a diverse and colorful garden. Dahlias are one such flower that pair with them perfectly, for both aesthetic and practical reasons.

The airy, open flowers of cosmos look perfect against the colorful and diverse blooms of dahlias. Both come in a wide range of shades, with cosmos available in pinks, purples, whites, and even yellows, and dahlias famously available in basically every color but blue. Dahlias also have a wide range of flower shapes, from ball shaped, to cactus-like, to everything in between. With all the options available, the hardest part of creating your border garden of dahlias and cosmos may be narrowing down which cultivars to grow. You won't be the only one to enjoy your border garden either, as these colorful flowers will also bring bees and other pollinators to your yard. Keep in mind though, pollinators prefer dahlia varieties with open centers, so they can easily access the pollen. 

Cosmos are generally purchased as young plants or started from seed. If you've been considering dipping your toes into starting plants from seed, cosmos seeds are perfect for beginner gardeners. Dahlias can be purchased as young plants, seeds, or as tubers. While they are not difficult to grow from seed, some of the most interesting cultivars, like the 'Bloomquest Jean' which looks like it came straight out of The Lorax, are only available as young plants or tubers. 

It's perhaps not surprising that cosmos and dahlias grow so well together considering both are native to Mexico and parts of South America. They both thrive in full sun, though dahlias can also handle part shade. They also both benefit from well-draining soil. Dahlias can survive winters in zones 7 and higher, but need to be either treated as annuals or dug up and stored through winter in colder zones. Cosmos, on the other hand, are annuals, but because of their ability to self-seed, they often return year after year, and can even become a bit weedy. Fortunately, this means that in many regions once your border garden of cosmos and dahlias is established, it should return year after year with little effort on your part.