You know how I went to the Hampton Court Palace Garden Show a few weeks ago? How I prevented myself from buying a lot of plants? How I only bought the perennial Cosmos? It may have been one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

I normally only grow annuals from seed. I don’t see the point in paying out a lot of money for plants which will only last one season before bowing their pretty heads and fading to brown. You can get a lot more for your money with a packet of seeds and a little nurture. Therefore, my growing of Cosmos has largely been retained to annual varieties which are invariably nibbled to within an inch of their life by slugs.

Cosmos ‘Chocolate’ has a gorgeous tone and fragrance

However, Cosmos ‘Chocolate’ is a half hardy perennial with a beautiful flower that, apparently, ‘smells’ of the very thing it’s named after. I was dubious. Especially as all but one of the flowers on the stand were still in bud form and the thousands of stretched out noses must have wafted all scent away for I could smell nothing. However, now that this beautiful plant has begun to flower, I can guarantee that it does, indeed, smell of chocolate!

Whether you’re an annual lover or not, this half hardy perennial is a wonderful addition to the garden, both in its colour and scent. Now, I’m off to have tea and drink in the smell of my own little chocolate factory.