Growing Camellia, Daffodils and Cosmos Flowers

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Gardeners Know the Dirt: Growing Camellia, Daffodils and Cosmos Flowers

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Growing Camellia

With glossy evergreen leaves, and pretty, showy flowers that appear from late winter into early spring, camellias are an early season star of the garden—a sign of better weather to come. Similarly, these flowers range from white and pink to deep red (even variegated), and come in many different forms including single, semi-double, and peony. Camellia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They originated in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. Finally, there are 100–300 described species, with some controversy over the exact number, and around 3,000 hybrids. In other words, camellias make a fantastic flowering garden shrub. Rhododendrons and azaleas are both members of the Ericaceae family and share many similar characteristics, making it challenging to distinguish them. Read about the difference between Rhododendrons and Azaleas here.

Growing Daffodils

One of the easiest and most popular spring bulbs to grow, daffodils, aka narcissus, come in several colors and in more than fifty species with over 25,000 registered cultivars or hybrids. Above all, typically recognized by the characteristic sunny yellow bloom, they are native to areas of Europe and North Africa. Therefore, the bulbs of the daffodil are best planted in mid-to-late autumn and the flowers will begin to emerge and open in early spring, reaching peak bloom about a month after final frost. In conclusion, if properly cared for, the bulbs of the daffodil can be replanted for bright color for years to come.

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Growing Cosmos

Cosmos flowers are colorful annual flowers with a daisy-like head on long slender stems. Cosmos is a genus, with the same common name of cosmos, consisting of flowering plants in the sunflower family. Therefore, they attract birds, bees, and butterflies to your garden as they bloom throughout the summer months. Finally, growing easily from seeds, cosmos even survive in poor soil conditions. Often part of a “wild meadow mix,” cosmos are delightful in the garden or meadow in summer, with pink, crimson, and white flowers that keep until the first frost of winter. Cosmos is widespread over the high eastern plains of South Africa, where it was introduced via contaminated horse feed during the Anglo-Boer War.

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