I’ve come to really love Cosmos flowers. With their herbaceous foliage and color variations, they are like little happy smiley faces. Knowing where they’d bloom and when, I’d look forward to capturing images in the gardens I’d frequent in Colorado. But in searching for them, would I find them in my new neighborhood in Santa Fe. And if so where?
This would turn into yet another on foot flower exploration. Given the discoveries I had already made close by – Black-Eyed Susans and Hollyhocks to name a few, I was optimistic that my wanderings would pay off. And they did!!
From a little local community garden to happy Cosmos in front yards, I was ultimately greeted by these daisy-like flowers.
Humble Beginnings and Some Background Info
For those who may be unfamiliar with Cosmos, the flowers sit atop long, slender stems with “bushy asparagus-like green foliage”. Cosmos is actually a genus, with the same common name of cosmos, which consists of flowering plants in the sunflower family.
Coming in different shades of pinks – from pale to a deep burgundy color and magenta. Others are white and some are two toned. Cosmos are technically annuals, however, given the opportunity they will self-sow. They can form dense patches in flower beds and come back year after year.
Their flowers are an open-cup-shape. They can handle warm, dry weather and are drought-tolerant making them perfect for Santa Fe’s climate.
Cosmos Flowers Bounty
The little Community Garden I discovered definitely turned out to be a Cosmos flower bounty. It appears one gardener preferred growing flowers over veggies and Cosmos took up some primo real estate in her plot. Little by little after multiple visits I watched as these plants grew, flourished and finally bloomed!
Their long-stemmed factor combined with their feathery, green foliage makes them fun to photograph. The plants can get quite busy – which is putting it mildly. However, my favorite way to photograph them is when I can isolate one. As such, the flowers can appear like they are floating among the blurred foliage background and I love that!
Producing multiple flowering stems near the top of the plant, these flowers meet the morning sun. When photographing them at the right angles, the flower petals can appear almost translucent. This is another way I enjoy photographing Cosmos flowers. And for the record, the white ones trimmed in pink are the stand-outs IMHO.
As a side note, this garden was also resident to some VERY prolific Morning Glories. With their deep, purple blooms they were hard to miss! Entwined among the Cosmos, sometimes they “mugged” the camera as in one photo I captured.
Bees Busy Among the Flowers
Bees are no strangers to Cosmos. But what I found interesting is the honey bees were far more interested in the big lavender plants that grew along the periphery of these little gardens. Other types of little bees were more prevalent along with some beefy bumble bees.
Always happy to see bees busy on flowers, it matters not which they are. But as in the past when photographing these flowers, as the mornings warm up and the yellow jackets and wasps begin to show up, I make a speedy departure!
Now I have a good idea where to find these flowers. Ideally as I continue to explore different areas of Santa Fe neighborhoods and any accessible gardens, there will be more flower discoveries to be made 🙂
If you like Cosmos flowers, be sure to check out these other posts:
● Cosmos Flowers with Their Daisy-like Appearance
● Colorful Cosmos Flower Blooms
● Colorful Cosmos with their Daisy-like Flowers Make for Beautiful Photos