One last dance...

[digitS']

If you can never find it - an unknown garden pest may be either a slug or an earwig. They are nighttime prowlers and hard to deter. The earwigs especially like dahlias and I need to make the plants toxic with a systemic pesticide. Somehow, I doubt if I kill them even with that - they're tuff. But, as long as they aren't eating my plants, that's about all I can hope for.

I've only had hollyhocks at another home where they grew on the southside between the house and a concrete walkway. It was very narrow and hot thru much of the day altho' they did have some shade. I had some portulaca which nobody could see and the hollyhocks, which looked out from around the corner of the house and could be seen from half a block away .

There are some other nice plants related to hollyhocks - besides the spectacular hibiscus . I've grown and enjoyed Malva and Sidalcea. Lavatera probably fits better with my appreciation of annuals and it has beautiful blooms. Actually, you probably can grow the Malva & Sildalcea as annuals, too. These seemed fairly easy for me. It may make sense that if you have trouble with hollyhocks to think about growing a relative and/or if you like one, you might like a few more of the family.

Steve

 

[4grandbabies]

Thanks Journey!! I will spray them early. May try to start from seed indoors this winter, will look at the seed catalogs.

 

[Greensage45]

OMG Journey!

This is the most perfect Hollyhock display I have ever seen!

I love those!

Now you need to widen the bed and put something just as dramatic right in front of them. Like Lupines or even Verbascum. I can think of a ton of things. LOL Not that your Hollyhocks aren't enough...but is it ever enough!

It would be just this kind of display that would cause me to get into a fender-bender driving by! You best put out a sign on the street so no one gets hurt!

I like this one! LOL

Thanks for the wonderful pictures of your beautiful Hollyhocks!

Ron

 

[journey11]

I can never get over just how tall they get. They really do put on a show. But you're so right Ron, I do need something in front of them to flesh it out, and to give me something to look at when they are done! I love to sit on my porch and just take in all that color. They instantly make me happy when I see them. That's why this last persistent little spire of bloom was such a blessing.

 

[cwhit590]

(Ron's post! I agree tho...you need a stop sign for that wall....)

Beautiful hollyhocks journey! I think your new color is awesome. Plus your row of them is great....it looks like a picture from a seed catalog where they show you all the colors that are in the mix. The black/purple colored ones are striking against your wall.

I have a pale pink one that has come back for many years (I planted a clump of seedlings when I started...I was secretly hoping that a darker pink or 'sunrise' colored one would survive...but oh well...whatev ). I get those little green caterpillars too....with only one plant, I am able to pick them off before they get out of control...but man, a whole wall of them...that would be a lotta pickin'!

 

[Greensage45]

I love that stop sign so much I want to make a set of leaves for the one down at the end of my block! LOL

I wonder if this is defacing City Property? I might have to get a disquise!

I hate to see the mug shot when they catch me! LOL

Ron

 

[HiDelight]

Oh Journey so pretty thank you so much for sharing!

I am planning a wall of hollyhocks now! I can not wait! they have been all over my yard but the wall looks so pretty I have to try it! maybe on one of the tiers or up agains the fence would be nice!

thanks again enjoy those last blooms mine are gone now I have to go and gather more seeds!

 

[journey11]

I love that stop sign so much I want to make a set of leaves for the one down at the end of my block! LOL

I wonder if this is defacing City Property? I might have to get a disquise!

http://z.about.com/d/familycrafts/1/0/y/l/hcflowgard.jpg

I hate to see the mug shot when they catch me! LOL

Ron

Just be sure to post it for us!

 

[obsessed]

That is a very beautiful display of flowerness. I haven't grown them before but I have some black hollyhocks that I intend on starting this spring. Any advice on starting them?

 

[journey11]

That is a very beautiful display of flowerness. I haven't grown them before but I have some black hollyhocks that I intend on starting this spring. Any advice on starting them?

The seeds I planted I just started directly in the ground in spring. But most of what I get now, they start themselves, all over the place, and I just transplant them. They won't bloom until their second year.

I like to cut down the stalks when they're all done blooming and I toss them in an out of the way place to decompose and the next spring I find babies popping up all over the place! I give a lot of them away and take some to fill in if I lost one or want some more. They make a tap root like a carrot or dandelion (except it's beige).

They are very easy! Which I guess is why they are a country favorite. They'll happily grow in poor soil, but I found that they'll get a whole lot bigger and with more stalks (they can have like a dozen per plant!) if you top dress them/mulch them with a little compost and mostly grass clippings.

I will start deliberately saving the seeds from now on to share next year. They are one of my favorites.