You have GOT to check this place out. According to them, the chocolate cosmos DO have a distinctive dark chocolate scent. They also offer some 'vanilla' plants, not sure if they're scented.

I've been a fan of B&W bouquets for years, and I've gotta tell ya, the idea of a fragrant mixed bouquet of B&W flowers knocks my sock off.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chocolate Flower Farm

I think CFF's cosmos seeds are not available due to a crop failure this year, no? Or maybe it was one of their other plants....

I can't speak for their plants, but their chocolate body cream smells incredible! It was all I could do to keep from eating it, lol!

I never heard of a chocolate and/or vanillla bouquet. Interesting idea!

:)
Dee

Hi Prairiegirlz-I appreciate the link....as a matter of fact, I had come across it the day before I posted this. The chocolate cosmos plant is available for $7 for a 4" pot, but the shipping is almost $10! So I may have to find a different source. It would be great to find locally. Yes, a "black" & white bouquet would be great...something to think about for the future. :0)

Dee, I read somewhere (may have been CFF site) that chocolate cosmos seeds are sterile or something, that you can't grow them from seed. I wish the "chocolate plant" (yellow daisy one) didn't drop its petals after one day of bloom! And I never read about this trait until about the 5th article I came across. Maybe I'll just plant the seeds in some pots and place them in an area people might sit outside to enjoy. :0) Phyl

I went back and checked the e-mail I got from CFF the other day, and it *was* their chocolate cosmos crop that failed due to cold weather, (as well as their crop of dierama cosmos) but they were indeed selling plants, not seeds. Oops! My mistake! I guess I didn't pay enough attention! But I guess if you were to buy plants you'd most likely buy from a closer source anyway. Their shipping *is* quite expensive.

I've never actually smelled the cosmos, and always wondered if it really smelled like chocolate.

I had the same problem with the berlandiera lyrata - petals fall off very soon. Maybe this is a better plant to sell/use as a potted plant.

:)
Dee

I only realized after I posted, that I mistakenly wrote "bouquets" in this sentence "I've been a fan of B&W bouquets for years..." when what I should have written was "I've been a fan of B&W plant combinations for years.." I still think a fragrant mixed bouquet of "black" & white flowers would be really nice, but see now that that was not necessarily what you meant. I should've checked beforehand; if anyone finds a seed source for the chocolate cosmos, please post it here. I guess CFF does have seed kits, but they're more for looks than a chocolate-y scent.

So phylrae~Have you tried chocolate mint or chocolate scented geraniums? Heliotrope has a vanilla scent. :)

Oy, I wrote a whole paragraph out, but mentioned a source I had read info from (d_____'s g_____den) and GW spit my post back to me and said they'd had problems with spam associated with that site. Here we go again: Thanks girls, for the info. No problem, Dee about B&W plant combinations vs. my idea for chocolate and vanilla scented mixed bouquets. I noticed B'stone P. has a sale on chocolate mint plants...says they smell like Andes Mints (my FAV!)...I read other info that said choc. cosmos really do have a cocoa-like scent. I've never thought of geraniums in my bouquets...will look into that. Also will look into heliotrope...have never really seen it I don't think!
I'm going to have to think of some other either TAN, CHOCOLATE BROWN, GREEN or WHITE flowers to intermix with the choc. mint, maybe use my green cups for them. I do have Pope J. Paul II rose (white) and Cafe rose (tannish), but don't know if their fragrances will compete. I also have daisies...maybe I should grow some Rudbeckia Green Wizard and moelluccus laavis (sp) as well. Any other ideas are always welcome! :0) Phyl

Ooh, those sound like some good ideas, Phyl. And gee, I never thought of chocolate mint. To be honest, I'm a bit afraid to grow it. I absolutely love chocolate, and the only thing better is chocolate/mint combination. If I am around the smell of chocolate mint too often, I see a lot of runs to the store for ice cream, lol - and I'm trying to lose a few pounds! Might not be a good idea. I'm having enough trouble with that darn chocolate body cream!

:)
Dee

Here is some more information about heliotrope. It needs to be kept constantly moist. It's best to pinch all the tips early on, to get it to branch full and bushy, and then deadhead to keep it blooming longer. Feed it weekly with a "bloom booster", look for a high middle number in the N-P-K formula. Note that it is NOT edible, in fact it is poisonous, and will cause gastric distress in humans and animals if consumed.

Why not add pink flowers, how does a bouquet of neapolitan ice cream sound? :) Bells of Ireland would look stunning with the pink flowers of panicle hydrangeas and some dark purple leaves, maybe cotinus or ninebark. This is my idea of a nice-looking bouquet, I have no idea if it would sell.

Here is a link that might be useful: Heliotrope

Thanks so much for the info! Neopolitan ice cream! Lovin' it! Yes, I see dark browns and pinks and sometimes greens mixed alot in my 1st grade girls' winter coats! Very pretty!
It felt SOOOOOO good to go outside in the sunshine during recess today.....there may still be snowbanks 3 feet tall, but I refused to wear a coat, as the sun made it so warm! I can't wait for spring!!! :0) Phyl

Are you a teacher phylrae? Bless your heart.

We've all got spring fever here too! Bring it on.

I've been a Teaching Assistant in my district for the past 12 years...I'm back in 1st grade again for my second year.....I just LOVE those little ones!
:0) Phyl

Hi -- Chocolate cosmos DO smell like chocolate! Some people don't think so, but most do! When its colder or wet they aren't as strong!

I have a local nursery start many of my plugs for me and they also order in my rooted cuttings (this year 800!). I usually have about a 30% return rate (they're not perennial here in my part of Oregon). I plant through lightweight black weedcloth so they get the weed suppression and extra warmth.

I think Gro N Sell, Harris, Germania can supply these for you at much, much lower costs! I also haven't seen seeds available yet.

Good luck and happy sniffing!

Wendy - Z6 - Oregon

I have white valerian that smells like a freshly baked vanilla cake. If I remember correctly,I bought the seeds from Johnny's Selected Seeds but let me confirm that before I put my foot in my mouth.

Peggy

Thanks, Wendy & Peggy...I am looking into white valerian from the seed exchange. I will wait on chocolate cosmos until I can find it either locally or thru an exchange I guess! :0) Phyl