Rough Draft 1.0 9/28/2020
Intro
If you are looking for tall flowers to bloom in your landscape look no further these surprise super flowers are here. This six foot tall perennial blooms with white to yellow and purple to pink flowers during mid summer. These flowering plants are biennial, which means they typically flower the second year after they are planted. They usually need about four months to grow and mature. This plant is a biennial in most growing zones, but if you let the seed pods develop and drop, they will regrow year after year.
Planting
Sun, Soil, and Water
Hollyhocks can thrive in full sun or partial shade. Try them in a few different spots in your yard and see where they are happiest. Moist, rich, well drained soil amended with compost is ideal for the best growth and flowering possibilities.. The mistake many novice growers make is to plant this flower in soil that is too dry. Remember too water from below. A watering drip system will work really well. Tip: Make sure the plant has good air circulation by planting them 2 feet apart outdoors, Once you have planted your hollyhocks, they will need minimal care.
Growth
Growing Hollyhocks
To Plant hollyhocks in the garden is the goal of many gardeners. The flower stalks on hollyhocks can reach heights of 9 feet (2.7 m.) tall! They can tower above a garden, adding a lovely vertical element to your yard. The one benefit that comes from growing hollyhock flowers is that they easily reseed themselves. While they may be short lived, in their proper growing conditions they will continually grow more, which will keep the hollyhock flowers consistent in years to come. Allowing this flower to self-sow in the garden is fun to see them popping up in delightfully unexpected spots next year. You won’t be disappointed because they look wonderful in clumps of intermingled colors. Tip stake them early for the hollyhocks to stay vertical. Once all of the blooms have flowered they can become top heavy. Staking them will prevent droopy heads.
Summer and Fall Care
Summer
Cut plants down to new foliage in late summer when flowering is completed. Remove all the old flowering stems and old, ragged leaves. The new foliage is more attractive at this point and holds up well through the winter, remaining semi-evergreen in areas with mild winters.
Fall
In cold climates prune the leaves and stems back to 6 inches from the ground in fall. The hollyhocks then need a layer of organic material at the base, ground level to protect the plants from freezing. Use straw, compost, leaf litter or mulch. Put 4 to 6 inches over the base of the plant.
Hollyhocks are known to be a short lived perennial meaning that one plant can last 2-3 years at best. Basically they are considered a perennial as long as the seeds drop every year to create blooms and regrowth. The one great benefit of growing hollyhocks is that they can easily reseed themselves to produce future growth and flowers.
Conclusion
Most gardeners believe that hollyhocks look best in front of a stone wall or fence. Garden enthusiasts also believe hollyhocks are a must for cottage gardens. Seeing garden beds full of colorful hollyhocks at Thanksgiving Point near Draper, Utah was such a sight to see and noticed how they would be a beautiful addition to any flower garden.
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