October birth flowers: marigold & cosmos - Wikipedia
Everyone knows about birthstones: the special stone assigned to each month. Each of them has a meaning behind it. Every month also has birth flowers which are a lot easier to give to that special someone!
October's birth flower should be the pumpkin bloom, but actually, it's the marigold. Marigolds are often given as a sign of warm or fierce, undying love, or as a way of saying that you're content with being with the recipient. The other October flower is cosmos, a symbol of order, peace, and serenity.
No annual is more cheerful or easier to grow than marigolds. These flowers are the spendthrifts among annuals, showing a wealth of gold, copper, and brass into our summer and autumn gardens. The flower’s popularity probably derives in part from its ability to bloom brightly all summer long.
Marigolds have daisy-like or double, carnation-like flower heads and are produced singly or in clusters. Although there are some 50 species, some marigolds we know come from just three:
~Tagetes erecta are the tallest, at three to five feet. They are sometimes known as African, or American, marigolds.
~Bushy T. patula, or French marigolds, are somewhat smaller and more compact. Elegant and eye-catching, they have relatively demure flowers and usually grow from 6 inches to 2 feet tall.
~The dainty T. tenuifolia are the signet, or rock-garden, marigolds that like hot, dry sites and make a wonderful edging. Their flowers are edible.
Marigolds have been sterotyped but they offer tremendous variety; some have fantastic aroma; all marigolds are good in containers and provide long-lasting cut flowers.
Cosmos are annuals, grown for their showy flowers in red, pink, orange and white. The flowerheads may be bowl– or open cup–shaped and are atop of long stems. Cosmos are easy to grow and make good border or container plants. They make for good decorations in flower arrangements and also attract birds, bees, and butterflies to your garden.
Two of the hardiest and showiest varieties of cosmos are:
~Picotee, which have pretty white flowers with a crimson border around the edge of the flower (some are also flecked in crimson).
~Sea Shells, which have white, pink, or red tube-shaped petals.