{"product_id":"sensation-picotee-cosmos-plants","title":"Sensation Picotée Cosmos Plants","description":"\u003cul class=\"pdp-specs\"\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVariety:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cosmos bipinnatus 'Sensation Picotee'\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCommon name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cosmos \/ Cosmea \/ Mexican Aster\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Half-hardy annual\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower form:\u003c\/strong\u003e Single, picotee-edged\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColour:\u003c\/strong\u003e White edged crimson-pink\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 90–120 cm (36–48 in)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlowering period:\u003c\/strong\u003e June–October\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun (minimum 6 hours)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Well-drained, ordinary to poor fertility\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30–35 cm (12–14 in)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGood for cutting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes – excellent\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContainer suitable:\u003c\/strong\u003e Large container only, with support\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDelivered as:\u003c\/strong\u003e Jumbo plug seedling. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/collect-your-order-from-castle-cary\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCollection from Castle Cary\u003c\/a\u003e also available\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA tall, classic cottage-garden cosmos with a twist: every white flower is brushed with a crimson-pink edge, so no two blooms look quite the same.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSensation Picotee – White Petals With a Crimson Brush\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCosmos 'Sensation Picotee' is a tall single half-hardy annual, reaching 90 to 120 cm, with large white flowers finely edged in crimson-pink and a golden centre, in bloom from June to October. The picotee marking varies from a fine rim to a bold flush, so a group of plants gives you a whole range of patterning rather than one repeated flower. It is a member of the long-established Sensation series, bred for big, generous blooms on strong stems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a back-of-the-border plant. At over a metre it brings height and movement to a bed, and it is one of the best cosmos for cutting, throwing long straight stems all summer. The open, single flowers are also a magnet for pollinators: the RHS lists cosmos among its top annuals for bees, hoverflies and butterflies, because the accessible centre suits insects that fully double flowers shut out. Grow it lean and sunny, and keep picking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy It Needs Support\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt this height the soft, hollow stems will lean or snap in summer wind and rain, so support goes in at planting time, not later. Push hazel twigs or pea sticks in around the young plants, or stretch horizontal netting over the bed at 30 to 40 cm and let the plants grow up through it and hide it. Leave it until they are tall and you will be tying up a tangle. It is the single most undersold piece of cosmos advice, and the easiest to get right early.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCompanion Planting for Sensation Picotee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe picotee markings read best against plain colours. Set it beside the solid white of \u003ca href=\"\/products\/purity-cosmos-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCosmos Sensation Purity\u003c\/a\u003e or the deep crimson of \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dazzler-cosmos-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCosmos Dazzler\u003c\/a\u003e to make the edging stand out. For contrast in texture rather than colour, weave it through \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/ornamental-grass-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eornamental grasses\u003c\/a\u003e such as Stipa tenuissima, whose fine movement sets off the tall, airy cosmos beautifully in a naturalistic scheme.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat Makes Ashridge Cosmos Different?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe grow all our cosmos ourselves, with no contract growing and no third-party nurseries. They are hand-sown in peat-free compost from the best quality seed (we buy it rather than collect it, because named cosmos do not come true from saved seed), and every plant is hardened off before dispatch. What arrives is a sturdy jumbo plug with slow-release feed in the rootball, ready for the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe send plants by next-day courier from May onwards, weather permitting, in recycled cardboard packaging designed to get them to you undamaged and ready to plant. You can reach real people on the phone in Somerset whenever you need to. We have grown and sold plants since 1949, hold the Feefo Platinum Service Award, and were voted a Which? Best Buy plant supplier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow tall does Sensation Picotee grow?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSensation Picotee reaches 90 to 120 cm, making it a tall, back-of-border cosmos. Space plants 30 to 35 cm apart and put support in at planting time so the stems do not lean.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDoes Sensation Picotee need staking or support?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. At over a metre the stems are soft and snap in wind, so support is essential. Use pea sticks or horizontal netting at 30 to 40 cm, set in place when you plant, not later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs Sensation Picotee good for cutting?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is one of the best. The long, straight stems and large single flowers are made for the vase, and regular cutting keeps the plant producing fresh blooms well into autumn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is the difference between Sensation Picotee and Fizzy Rose Picotee?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth carry rose-crimson picotee edging, but Sensation Picotee is a tall single at 90 to 120 cm, while \u003ca href=\"\/products\/fizzy-rose-picotee-cosmos-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFizzy Rose Picotee\u003c\/a\u003e is a shorter, frothy semi-double.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat looks good planted with Sensation Picotee?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlain colours show off the edging: white Sensation Purity or crimson Dazzler alongside it, or fine grasses for movement. For full planting ideas, see our \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/bedding\/how-to-grow-cosmos\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehow to grow cosmos guide\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Ashridge","offers":[{"title":"Seedling \/ 4 Jumbo Plugs","offer_id":56315810775366,"sku":"COSMBIPISENPICO-Pk4","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0947\/0351\/8022\/files\/sensation-picotee-cosmos-flowers.webp?v=1781610331","url":"https:\/\/www.ashridgetrees.co.uk\/products\/sensation-picotee-cosmos-plants","provider":"Ashridge Nurseries","version":"1.0","type":"link"}