Garden Desktop: Cosmos Closeup

Brighten up your desktop with my garden! But no commercial use, please. The photo is a link to the 1024x768 desktop wallpaper-sized version.

I've been remiss in posting garden desktops-- busy summer! Now that lots of the garden is dormant, I should have time to catch up. OK, quasi-dormant. I need to get compost this weekend from the SMaRT Center, start broccoli, plant beets and carrots, and so on. :-)

'Sonata' Cosmos, 2nd generation, growing in a large pot at our old place in San Jose. First generation was a 6-pack from OSH, 2nd generation was saved seed. I'd noticed small birds landing in the cosmos in the fall, when I'd gotten way behind on deadheading the flowers. Then I realized, "oh, the seeds must be ripe!" Cosmos seeds look like little twisted fat caraway seeds, and it's an easy plant to grow. You do have to keep removing the dead flowers if you want it to keep going, though, as once it's set seed, it's done for the year.