First of all....I'd get the weed wacker and chase him around the yard til he hollers "UNCLE!". Then ask him to dig into HIS pockets for a trip to the nursery. Or.....

What other annuals were planted in the bed? Of the three that you mention, it's possible the marigold and zinnia will grow new leaves and eventually bloom late - the plants will be bushy and not reach ideal height tho. How far along were the cosmos? Is there any foliage left at all on any of the plants or just stems?

what did he cut .. and why do you think it will fail ...

we all prune back or annuals.. its called deadheading ...

you hubby was just ahead of the curve.. for the first time??? ... lol .. and just a bit aggressive... rotf ....

i wouldnt be surprised if it doesnt come back lusher in a few weeks ... and you actually think of doing it again some time ...

unless he was so far ahead of the curve ... that he got the roundup out also .. lol

i have seen gardens flattened by hail storms... they come back.. what difference is there that it was a lawn mower ...

i just planted gourds ... when you have a 10/31 deadline... you can plant very late .. if you are planting a crop that like cool weather, late in the year ...

ken

My mother borrowed some planters of geraniums from a friend to decorate the yard for my wedding. A short while before, the deer came and dined on them. We groaned. But those deer timed it perfectly because come wedding day those geraniums came back and looked GREAT! Even better than before, mom said.

I am in a worst situation because I am late and haven't started anything. So I went to buy some seed packets of those that will flower quickly. Here are some of them with the listed days-to-bloom. I am sure they vary from place to place but this should give you some idea:

nasturtium, 32-40 days
marigold, 35-45
phlox, 63-77
bachelor buton, 42-49
alyssum, 49-84
lakspur 60-90
verbena, 55-80
impatiens, 55-70
candytuft, 55

cosmos is a short-day plant, so it needs the days to be short. If you grow them now, it will bloom in early fall when the days become shorter.

So you see, you/we still have some time to have flowers. Marigolds is the fastest. You can probably get different hybrids.

If you buy seeds now, many stores are having a sale on them; but better go out fast. Over here, Home Depot has removed all their seed racks.

I am thinking of whacking back my Nasturtiums. I planted them as an UNDERPLANTING in my rose pots. Yah right. They are getting huge and some are trailing 5 feet out of the pot, making a run for the border. A couple of the smaller roses I can hardly see b/c the nasties are so huge. They get fed when the roses get fed of course so they are smothered in blooms. Still I think I will hack them back a bit, just the more overgrown ones. THEORETICALLY, being an annual, they should come back. (Y'all want your Nasturtiums to do you proud, feed them anything flower-promoting such as rose food.)

I have complete sympathy for you! I HAD beautiful purple wave petunas around the edge of my garden. Two days ago it came a flash flood and over half of my plants died. Now my garden looks horrible. It has empty spots where the flowers once were. In my local area, there is no more purple petunas in town or any other petunas, so now I am stuck with a funky looking garden.
Ann

Ann,

You could take cuttings from your surviving petunias (if there are any) to get new replacement plants.

MM

You have all given my hubby a reprieve. After coming back from the holiday I examined my bed to find cosmos foliage free (i.e. burned to ground) sunflowers and rudibeckia didn't stand a chance but as your experience has predicted I was plesantly suprised to see zinnia's and marigolds are recovering nicely. Now, I am scrambling to take your suggestions, to fill in the gaps. THANKS to all of you @ garden web another marriage saved. (now to hide the round-up)

You'd better. In the hands of a non-gardener (notice I am staying gender neutral) who is trying to help, it's far more dangerous than a weed whacker.

My last husband, who made it clear he liked large expanses of grass, let me spend years rejuvenating a hedge of old fashioned peonies from an abandoned house we bought and restored. I suppose he thought I'd give up and give it up. As soon as it was obvious I succeeded and they were heavy in bud for bloom, he took the belly mower and murdered somewhere between forty to eighty plants. Then he came inside and got me to show me how pretty it looked to rub in his deed with some salt. Yes, I divorced him before he passed of natural causes.

I got so tired of my flowers being covered with the weeds near my borders I decided to weed whack myself.

Long story short I accidentally cut out phone line. Needless to say I am not encouraged to help anymore.

If it makes you feel any better, I have often asked my own DH what did the ______________ (you fill in the blank, it could be, and has been, a hydrangea bush, zinnias, my red lilies) do to you? He really can't tell the differencein a plant and a weed unless a plant is blooming. The green part? They are all weeds to him. I feel your pain

On the good side, he rarely complains about what I buy, and while I have been sidelined with a knee injury and surgery for it, and he has been very faithful to water my entire garden for me.
Kay

My hubby won't do anything unless I spell it out for him and show him exactly. Sometimes NOT having the initiative is a good thing. (It isn't his fault, it is a byproduct of mental illness. He's doing awesome but there are always little quirks to live with. Sometimes we even laugh at the quirks.)