Cosmos produce 3- to 5-inch daisy-like flowers in various colors, including pink, orange, red and yellow, white, and maroon. 

Cosmos are annual flowers with colorful, daisy-like flowers that sit atop long, slender stems. Blooming from the summer through fall, they attract birds, bees, and butterflies to your garden. They’re grown easily from seeds and will even survive in poor soil conditions!

sow seeds lightly—no more than 1/4-inch deep.

Direct-sow seeds outdoors once the danger of frost has passed. 

• Alternatively, sow seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last spring frost date in trays or pots with a good seed-starting mixture. Move them into 5-inch pots as soon as they’re 3 or 4 inches tall.