I can feel it coming on. This slight obsession with Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea).
Not only are they wonderful for greening-up our streets, but now they’re creeping into my front and back gardens (and a few clients’ gardens too). I want a field of them. I want to plant every seed that I’ve lovingly collected to see how they develop after cross-pollination. But alas, I’m short of an acre or two.
On a recent trip to Blakekney on the north Norfolk coast, these joyful blousey creatures were everywhere. In little alleys, surrounded by flinty gorgeousness, in front of cottages on the street,
and even on their last knockings, I found them irresistible (and collected a few seed heads from each).
I’ve only ever sown Hollyhock seeds in spring, from seeds gathered from neighbours’ front gardens, but I’ve collected seeds from surrounding streets and friends’ houses and started off a selection of these in the beginning of September. I’m not sure if, given a head start, these biennials/short-lived perennials will flower next summer, but I thought it was worth a try and will overwinter these in my greenhouse.
I’ve even started off a few last week to see how these do too.
And there’s plenty more to sow in spring for further experimentation. The delicious ‘Halo’ series (bold blooms with contrasting colours at their centre), are said to flower in their first year, so definitely worth a try,
and I spotted this rich ‘Crème de Cassis’ variety a few years ago at the Hampton Court Flower Show which I’m now itching to get growing.
We’re hoping to go large with our tree pit planting for our community project next year, so many of these little seedlings are destined to brighten up our streets (and a few front gardens if people want them). Just can’t wait to see how they all flower in the years to come.
Out of my shed 
There is something so simple yet so beautiful about a Hollyhock. I love your street plantings – great community feel to it. 🙂
Hi Judy, yes, they’re great for street planting with their tall majestic blooms, and their lower leaves deterring any dog or fox activity too! Even though they were mostly cut back a few weeks ago, we still have a few new blooms as it’s been so mild in London. Can’t wait to see more of these over the next few years.
I love the hollyhocks at the base of that street tree. I too get those early warnings about plant obsessions. Last year it was hydrangeas and that’s still going strong and currently in preparation for more cut flowers it’s Ranunculus especially the deep red varieties.
Hi Sue, Envious of your space to indulge your hydrangea obsession. Any varieties in particular fuelling your passion?
Do you know I like all of them but I bought most of them in Ikea where they were on sale with no names. The greens and cream look great cut with similar hues and the reds are great cut with strong oranges and purples.
I should have remembered how good they look under street trees…! Next year, I’ll try collecting the seed and donating that to the street rather than letting it all drop at home.
Hi Diana, Not always easy to make the time to get seeds sown when they should be sown, but good luck for next year!
Such inspiring photographs. Too late now for autumn sowing, but I shall try to get Halo seeds and start them early for distribution later on.
Hi Sarah, will be interested to hear how your plants grow next year. Looking forward to seeing how well they grow and what colour combinations I get from this Halo series too.
Great blog Naomi. I saw so many hollyhocks this year on my English country garden trip with my three best friends and then again in Alburquerque, New Mexico. I too sowed saved seed in September and they are doing quite nicely. Had a little trouble with leaf miners so I removed all the infected leaves and sprinkled a few grains of systemic. They imediately responded well. No further issues. Thank you for your inspiration. I just read in my Great Dixter class journal that it is time to sow poppies, so will do that tomorrow! Cat
Thanks Cat, look forward to hearing how your saved seed grows.Send me some pics? Yes, they’re your quintessential cottage garden plant I guess, but maybe that’s what makes them so great at softening our hard urban edges…
Good luck, I am sure that they will look wonderful. That ‘Crème de Cassis’ definitely looks worth seeking out. I’ve tried a rust resistant strain this year, but unfortunately I can’t report that they were very resistant, they all seem to be suffering from it a bit.
Hi Allison, Interesting to hear that your Hollyhocks weren’t rust resistant. I tend to remove rusted lower leaves as much as possible, but plants still seem vigorous and come back the following year. Yes, ‘Crème de Cassis’ seeds easily available, so looking forward to growing it and hopefully seeing these gorgeous flowers in our streets in the future.
I have been a convert for a few years now. I would never have them in the garden because of the rust. but I now plant them with lots of other tall plants which help to disguise this and I can then chop quite a few offending leaves off. I also grew the seeds of the Halo Hollyhock off the Garden Answers Magazine and to my surprise they flowered in the first year, just as I had put them all on the allotment thinking I would bring them home this autumn ready for next year. Oh well …they are all back here now insitu…. Sue
Hi Sue, Good to hear that the Halo series do indeed flower in their first year. Did you get a good mix of colours? Can’t wait to get sowing these in spring. V.best Naomi
Naomi, can you provide some advice onstaking hollyhocks?
Kindly,
Hi Cat, I’m not sure if it’s the tough environment that they grow in, but the Hollyhocks growing in the tree pits tend not to need staking (2nd pic down) as they generally grow in quite an upright manner. I do occasionally snip out a stem that has started to flop, but otherwise, no staking. Sorry not to be able to be of more help. Naomi