Cosmos plants have sprouted by the tens of thousands and are beginning to cover even large rocks.

Last year’s display of wild cosmos flowers.

The mostly cool, moist weather of the past few weeks has set off an explosion of vegetation all over the ranch, but the best is yet to come: Waves of pink cosmos flowers–hundreds of thousands, nah, probably millions–that will cover all the fields around the ranch for a breathtaking yet short-lived show that should begin around late September.

Before we had fenced in our land, sheep and other livestock had munched practically everything down to a stubble. But over the past two years wildflowers have returned as if they had never left, particularly the cosmos. The seeds from spent flowers blow off in all directions, to bloom next year in a geometric progression of color.

Thousands of bright green cosmos plants already have sprouted and are growing by the inch every day, covering up even large rocks. Can’t wait for their show in just a couple of months.