Hollyhocks

#1 Postby **wx247** » Sat Jun 21, 2003 11:50 am

Wow! These are some beautiful flowers which have just bloomed outside the house. The ones that have bloomed are a deep, dark red almost slightly violet in color. Does anyone know what other colors/varieties of hollyhocks there are? Thanks!

Bestofour · #2 Postby **Bestofour** » Sat Jun 21, 2003 1:14 pm

I have hollyhocks planted too. Some people from the GTC sent me seeds and then Petal Pusher sent some actual plants. They haven't bloomed yet, but the plants are healthy looking. Can't wait until they flower.

#3 Postby **wx247** » Sat Jun 21, 2003 1:22 pm

Mine are so tall. I love how many flowers bloom off of one of them. Welcome to S2K by the way!

Bestofour · #4 Postby **Bestofour** » Sat Jun 21, 2003 1:24 pm

Thank you. How tall are yours? Don't they reseed easily?

seedlady · #5 Postby **seedlady** » Sat Jun 21, 2003 4:35 pm

There are yellow, pink, white, red, & almost black hollyhocks. I don't think I've ever seen any blue ones. I have "Antwerp Mix" I grew from seed last year with LOTS of buds this year - waiting to see what they are. New hollyhock seedlings I have are from my late grandmother-in-law's garden - my father-in-law had these seeds, and they are probably 10 or 15 years old! Not all of them germinated, of course, but enough did that I am hopeful to have at least a few heirloom plants that survive.

#6 Postby **wx247** » Sat Jun 21, 2003 7:48 pm

I am guesstimating that mine are 36" or so tall. I bet the yellow are pretty.

breeze · #7 Postby **breeze** » Sun Jun 22, 2003 10:32 am

My sis-in-law's hollyhocks, next door, are blooming lovely
maroon, light pink, and white, with the tallest one around
six feet! (I'm 5'7, and, looking UP at it!) They tend to need
staking unless grown next to some kind of support. These
are growing beside the garage.

#8 Postby **wx247** » Sun Jun 22, 2003 1:31 pm

We have a brick thingy because our yard is 2 levels. They are growing against them.

#9 Postby **Stephanie** » Sun Jun 22, 2003 8:59 pm

Do they constantly bloom during the summer? I think they are lovely flowers!

petal*pusher · #10 Postby **petal*pusher** » Mon Jun 23, 2003 4:05 pm

Hi Stephanie! Like most perennials......hollyhocks have a particular "blooming season". Most varieties will grow pretty tall.......the "Old-Timey" kinds often get 5 or 6 feet tall!!

They have introduced several new varieties in the last few years that often only get 4 to 5 feet tall. There are both single petaled and double petaled varieties. Sometimes this plant acts more like a biennial than a perennial. (Putting down roots the first year, blossoming the second year, then seemingly dying back.)

I have some almost ready to bloom by my arbor.....I'll get some pics posted when they're out.

When I was a youngin', we used to sit on the back steps and make little dolls out of the flowers of a hollyhock. We would pick an open flower, then a bud. Using a couple toothpicks, we'd attach the bud stem-end to stem-end to the open flower (making a head)....then insert the other toothpick across the top of the blossom to look like arms! Ahh.....so long ago..........memories!...........p :wink:

#11 Postby **Stephanie** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 9:57 am

They are lovely! Making dolls out of them? I never had hollyhocks when I grew up, but that's very creative!

I guess I'll need to plant other perennials that will bloom before or after them. Hey that's part of the fun though! Thanks for the info!

#12 Postby **wx247** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 1:14 pm

Mine are the double pedal variety and I went out and measured. Two of them are approx. 72" tall while most are around 40". These were planted 3 years ago. They did not bloom the first year, but have since bloomed brilliantly the last 2 years.

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