When we first started this garden we had very few flowers. A neighbour gave me the seeds of her Altea (Hibiscus syriacus). There is a similarity between the flowers and the flowsy tropical Hibiscus. The H. syriacus is a hardy deciduous plant that stands up well to our hot dry summers. Because I grew mine from seed I have a variety of colours and I find the bushes work well as a hedging plant. They can be cut with impunity in the winter and shaped high, low or fanned. I have even seen it grown into a small tree in this area. I have also read that the flowers are edible but I have not tried them yet. Certainly they would be excellent for food decoration.
I love Cosmos flowers even though they herald the end of our summer. September is often a warm, sunny month in the Charente-Maritime – still beach weather. The coloured Cosmos self-seed but I try to add variety by sowing some fresh bought seed although I do not think they are so successful. I often end up finding little seedlings struggling here and there and transplant them to sunnier spots. Cosmos love the sun and I can never find enough sunny spots for them in the garden.
a french garden 
My neighbours have a fine hedge of this but they have not done well this year which I attribute to the cold wet summer.
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Love cosmos. My neighbor grows Altea–I know it as Rose of Sharon–and insects adore it.
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Hibiscus are so pretty, but leaf out so late and lose their leaves so early in our part of Germany. It is good that you can use them as a hedge! Cosmos are lovely colourful flowers for late summer and I love them too. I also scatter seed and grow small plants in pots in spring, but it is always a matter of luck which do well! Have a good day Amelia!
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Beautiful hibiscus – and photograph. I wish cosmos would seed for me. It doesn’t seem to like seeding on my clay, although fortunately there are other ‘takers’! Thanks for sharing!
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I prefer to grow plants that are happy in our soil too. Thankfully there are plenty of plants to choose from whatever your soil and climate is like. Amelia
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So true – although there are occasionally disappointments. Old friends that give you the cold shoulder in a new garden!
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I love cosmos, but have trouble with the pink/white varieties getting mildew, whereas the orange/yellow C. sulphureus do much better here. Do you have those in your area?
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I have not had any problems with mildew with the coloured cosmos. They can get a bit leggy at the end of the season. The orange/yellow Cosmos sulphureus self seeds everywhere and I love it. It is so rugged it will grow in the cracks of paths. It provides so much colour, and of course the bees love it. Amelia
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