Yup, that ferny foliage in the back could be cosmos. Your plants look good ... green, non- wilted, still flowering. All that effort in watering must be paying off, so keep up the good work!
If we can just get past this long heat wave, we'll get to enjoy some wonderful fall gardening and we'll fall in love with our gardens & gardening all over again. Now it just feels like work.
I found that Henry Eilers didn't flower well the first year, but now that it's settled in, there are a lot more blooms. I like how upright the plant habit is, so it doesn't sprawl all over its neighbors.
My Joe Pye 'Gateway' puts on an impressive display, and then it flops terribly, so eventually I decapitate it to get it upright again. 'Baby Joe' does bettter on the flopping, but isn't as showy. I use it closer to the front of the bed to echo the 'Gateway' at the back.
