Returned to Cosmos after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Cosmos failed — rabbits and slugs targeting young seedlings got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again.

The second attempt, with proper attention to allowing plants to set seed before cutting at the end of season, has been completely different. It's now thriving in a wildlife pond margin planting and exceptional wildlife value for bees, butterflies, and hoverflies is on full display. peak flowering from early to midsummer this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.