Hazel's Hollyhocks are blooming up a storm against the back fence. She gave me some seeds last summer when I was visiting.My fondness for Hollys is a throwback from childhood. They grew wild in a back section of our yard, creating a flowering forest when we were little kids.
These days I love them because they're big enough to create a focal point on my long, narrow lot.Without this pretty distraction, we find ourselves staring at the new neighbors and they at us. Since I'm at the bottom of a hill, I'd need an 18 foot fence to block the view. Hollies can do just that and nobody will complain.
It's hard to miss a Hollyhock when she's blooming. In flower, I see the tastes and personalities of the people who first planted them because I gather Hollyhock seeds from friends.
An easy re-seeder, they come back year after year, with riotous colors on sturdy stalks, towering 5-15 feet.Tip: Rust is a common disease for Hollyhocks. Avoid it by cutting down and removing all leaves, seeds and stalks in the fall. (Rust disease overwinters in decaying debris.)
Oh Kate they are beautiful, one of these days when I get my gardens going I will have some, never have had any before and I just love them. Thanks for sharing the pictures.
ReplyDeleteGail