The season is just getting started and I’ve already collected quite a photo gallery! Seems every morning I come out to find a different look—clover-like shape, tie dyed, double layers, frills, fused petals, fluted edges, rolled petals, all manners of colors…  And these are just the handful that I’ve photographed.

Even now, I’m looking through my photos saying “Didn’t I take a picture of that orangish one? And the one with yellow? The dusty rose? Oh, that one’s in the flower arrangement photo. It was still cold from the fridge, and hadn’t quite opened, so I didn’t take an individual photo. But what about the one that was mostly pink, but edged in white?” I’m still looking for that picture! I’m sure I took it! I hope to add to the photo gallery as the year goes by.

In past years, nearly all my cosmos were pink/purple, with a couple white blooms thrown in every now and then. But this year three things happened:

1. I planted several exciting new varieties!
2. I went to a flower show and was gifted a variety I never would have chosen, but now realize I love!
3. I got a bunch of volunteers from last year and the bees seem to have helped them come up with all sorts of creative combinations.

I’ve realized that even on the same plant you can’t necessarily expect the same results. There are happy little accidents—color variations, petal differences, shifts in bloom size. I’m not sure if that will be a good thing or a pain in the rear as the season goes on. It would probably be nice to know ahead of time what’s going to bloom when trying to plan bouquets and potential sales, but I think things will work out just fine!

For now, I’m just enjoying the gorgeous varieties and the question of what sort of cosmos I’ll discover each morning!

Have you found any happy accidents in your garden yet this year?