Hollyhocks

very nice

wonderful closeup

What a beauty.

Thanks for your comments my GOY friends.
I was surprised at the results as it was so windy when I took the pic. U can see my hand in the lower left corner trying to hold it steady.

Stunning my mother in law as one of these but hers asnt blossomed yet:)))

Thank you Mark.
Sometimes they can take a season or two to bloom. They do like lots of sun. I'm really surprised at how well this one is doing. I have another in a pt but might plant it up near this one. More the merrier. I'm just pleased the rascals of people around here haven't pull the tops of or taken the flowers. Some people around here do not teach their kids good behavior or respect for others or their property.

Hi Ang i know what you mean about naughty children or drunken late night adults.I have kept all my nice plants in my back garden out of harms way.I will tell my mother in law about they like lots of sun as she as hers in a part shaded area.:)))

This looks nice and healthy. WHen I tried to grow them they got rust.

Hi Mark61 & Lindak

I bought 3 in a pack and they were only roots. I first planted them in a border that gets half sun and had a wall behind, but the soil was too dry and night creatures were digging and they were getting lost. So I took them up and put them in pots. I had this one in a pot in part sun, but it didn't do so well. It did better in the pot but wasn't showing any sign of flower or height. So I though it needs sun. The only place I could find was in the front border by the road beside the sprinkler head that comes on twice a week. Well, it just grew like a weed. In no time at all it had flower shoots, them loads of bloom. I was thinking it odd that the selfish, I have to have that, people that live around here haven't taken them, as they do the roses. No sooner did I have that thought then I saw them bent over where someone tried too break it off, but they have a very tough stem :-) and they couldn't break it. I had loads of seeds from them. Wish I had someone to give them to or sell them. I put a few seed in a 6Pk just last week and in just a few days a few were germinated. I wish I had a big sunny garden I'd have lots of different colors. I love the double flowers.
So I'd say lots of sun and generous watering twice a week. No rust, no bugs and lots bloom and about 10 to 12 feet high.

well done.......Why do people do that and try to destroy what others are trying to make so nice? Lack of respect and probably never been taught about right and wrong.

Super photo.

Thank you Lindak
I've wondered that myself so often. When I read on here of how peoples plots and pots etc. are vandalized it shocks me. It seems to be worse in England, here they just want to steal the flowers. Once though, a neighbor moved in and had 2 huge Australian Tree Ferns and a few other pots at the side of the building in a corner. I could just see the tops out my bedroom window, I so enjoyed see the lime color. A few month later someone pulled up to the side of the house with a truck loaded the 2 maybe 15 or so to feet tall Australian Tree Ferns into their truck and were gone. They left the others. Someone else stole the small pot with Cacti in it. I was shocked. I never heard of any thing like it b4. The brazenness of t!

Thanks Theo
I got loads of seeds from this plant and have a few new ones started. Not sure where I'll plant them though. Oh how I'd love a good size garden!

Happy gardening.

beautiful hollyhocks...i remember them especially from a child. someone told me a story about turning the flower upside down and pulling the stamen thru and it becomes a ballerina with her tutu...never forgot it! you have a lovely garden!

Thanks Noah
I must try that sometime with a flower of my Hollyhock.
I have loads of seeds from it if you'd like any. I have 2 more plants started from some of them.

i do have some in the garden now; you're right, loads of seeds...thanks, though!

That's great Noah, hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I'd love a garden full of the colors I like. You can buy seed of the different one on Ebay, in fact I've sold some of my seeds on there. Sadly I've had to take my Hollyhock out of the garden, long sad story there, but I have it in a pot but it's on my balcony and it doesn't get enough sun to bloom. I have to find a sunny place for it if I want to enjoy the blooms again. I only back 5 days from a month in Ireland and came back to loads of eaten lives, on investigation I found about a doz. cocoons green caterpillars so I took of all eaten and cocooned leaves. So safe to say the butterflies loves them. I think it's the white butterfly, I'm no expert on cocoons. However, I found when it was in the sunny spot of the garden getting a good watering by the sprinkler twice a week it never got eaten.
Enjoy. All the best and thanks for your comment.

wonderful capture of a very nice plant...