Cosmos Capriola

A gorgeous, free-flowering cosmos with delicate white petals edged and brushed with rich rosy pink, surrounding cheerful golden-yellow centres.

The flowers have an almost hand-painted appearance, floating above fine, feathery foliage on graceful stems. A beautiful addition to cottage gardens, summer borders and informal flower arrangements.

Why I Grow It

I love cosmos for their generous flowering and the way they bring movement, colour and life into a garden.

Capriola particularly caught my eye because of its unusual colouring. Those pink-edged white petals look as though someone's taken a little paintbrush to them.

It's exactly the sort of flower I enjoy growing amongst vegetables and other plants, where it can mingle rather than sit obediently in a formal flowerbed.

And, like other cosmos, it's wonderfully rewarding to grow from seed.

In the Kitchen

Capriola is grown as an ornamental flower rather than a culinary plant.

However, it earns its place in the kitchen garden by providing flowers for visiting pollinators and beautiful stems to cut for the house.

A handful of cosmos in a simple jar makes a lovely informal summer arrangement.

In the Garden

Capriola produces an abundance of striking bicoloured flowers throughout summer and into autumn.

The plants develop airy, branching stems with finely divided foliage, creating a soft, naturalistic effect in mixed borders and cottage gardens.

It's particularly attractive planted in groups, amongst ornamental grasses or woven through a productive potager.

The flowers attract bees and other visiting insects, while regular picking and deadheading encourage further blooms.

Mature height: Approximately 60–80 cm
Spread: Approximately 30–45 cm
Flowering: Summer through autumn
Growth habit: Upright, branching annual

Care

• Position: Full sun.

• Soil: Well-draining soil; cosmos generally perform best without excessive fertiliser.

• Planting: Transplant after frost danger has passed.

• Spacing: Approximately 30–40 cm between plants.

• Watering: Water regularly while establishing, then during prolonged dry periods.

• Feeding: Minimal feeding is usually required. Too much nitrogen can encourage leafy growth at the expense of flowers.

• Support: Light staking may be useful in windy or exposed positions.

• Maintenance: Remove spent flowers regularly to encourage continued blooming.

• Cut flowers: Pick regularly for informal arrangements and to encourage more flowering.

What You'll Receive

One pot containing two healthy, seed-grown Cosmos Capriola seedlings.

The seedlings can be carefully separated and planted individually, giving you two flowering plants for your summer garden.