October Birth Flowers: Marigold and Cosmos (gouache style)

Two quite different plants share the name marigold. The pot marigold, Calendula officinalis, is a hardy annual with orange or yellow daisy flowers and edible petals, long grown in cottage and kitchen gardens. French and African marigolds, Tagetes, actually come from Mexico and Central America. Cosmos, Cosmos bipinnatus, is another Mexican annual, with finely divided, feathery leaves and wide, open flowers in pink, white and crimson.

Pot marigolds are the easiest of the lot: sow them direct from March to May in a sunny spot, and they'll often self-seed for years. Cosmos is tender, so sow it under cover in March or April and plant out once the last frost has passed. Pinch out the tips of young plants for bushier growth. With both, regular deadheading or picking keeps new flowers coming, and they'll carry on until the first frost. Single-flowered kinds are best for bees.

Orange and gold marigolds are paired with pink and white cosmos on a deep aubergine ground. The dark background makes the warm and pale flowers glow, much as late colour stands out in a garden that's starting to fade. Both are annuals that keep flowering into October, which is why they belong together here.