Cosmos Growth And A Birdbath
Two years ago I planted a few ordinary cosmos seeds around the birdbath. When the plants commenced to bloom, nodding their white, pink and red flowerheads in the breeze, they attracted the attention of many hungry little yellow-and-black goldfinches with their seeds. Last Summer sturdy new cosmos sprang up from the seeds the goldfinches had missed the Fall before. The birds flew in and out among them to take their baths, and goldfinches began making hasty visits in search of seeds.
Early in August my attention was drawn to an unusually sturdy, handsome, extra-lacy cosmos plant growing on the east side of the birdbath. It had no blossoms and showed no signs of budding. But it was beautiful, with many branches springing out from its thick stalk. Daily it grew and increased in stature. Finally I decided, as an experiment, to measure it and keep a record. That cosmos was definitely “growing” places, and I wanted to see how far.
I kept a daily record from August 17 through September 28 when, in spite of being well-covered, a very heavy frost put an end to its amazing progress. Here is the cosmos record in part:
AUGUST 17 – 4 ft. 9 in.
AUGUST 24 – 5 ft. 4 in.
SEPTEMBER 1 – 5 ft. 9 in.
SEPTEMBER 6 – 6 ft.
SEPTEMBER 12 – 6 ft. 5 in.
SEPTEMBER 17 – 6 ft. 8 in. 24-7 ft.
SEPTEMBER 28 – 7 ft. 6 in.
Early in September the cosmos began to bud. Every branch was filled, and at the top there was a large cluster of buds. Slowly they grew bigger and fatter. The stalk was now as stout as a young tree, and by mid-September it measured 1% inches in diameter. The plant was so sturdy that the larger birds visiting the birdbath, such as robins and grackles, sat in its branches without weighing them down.
I kept eager watch over all those wonderful buds. As chilly nights began to come, the plant was carefully covered, although it was a difficult thing to do. Then, despite covering, a heavy frost killed it.
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