Now that I'm finally beginning to get a clue or two about ornamentals in my gardening schema, I'm becoming rather fascinated by hollyhocks! I know some of you are fanatic gardeners and probably know everything there is to know.

In the course of my search for enlightenment, I would like to explore the option of growing some. Can you please help me?

Best regards,

-- Anonymous, July 10, 2001

Answers

Hi Sheepish!

HollyHocks are in the Mallow family along with Hibiscus,and Marshmallow,

In the lanquaqe of flowers Mallow stands for mildness.

Hollyhocks are thought of as a cottage garden plant and usher visions of England. But actually they are a native of China. In China it is a symbol of fruitfullness.

IN old England the leaf of the Hollyhock was used to cure horse's heels and it earned the name of Hockleaf.

For some reason Hollyhock can be found around old Outhouses, and I remember my Grandma and Grandpa Johnsons out house had them behind it. Perhaps they planted them to hide the ugly outhouse? Tren

-- Anonymous, July 10, 2001

I love old-fashioned single flowered hollyhocks. My grandmother used to have a stand of them self-perpetuating on the south side of her house (now my house) alongside her Concord grape vine. Those hollyhocks came back year after year, and I remember that she sank gallon coffee cans in the ground alongside them and the grapes so that she could water them deeply, since it tended to get pretty dry on the south side wall. She would periodically have to take out ones that weren't doing well anymore, and would then nurture one of their self-seeded offspring in its place.

The soil there was very sandy, and she enriched it with manure as I seem to remember. It is almost impossible to ripen Concord grapes in this area, but she got crops from her vines. I think that both the grapes and the flowers flourished from the heat-sink created alongside the concrete block foundation. There were also some pieces of concrete on the roots of the grape to conserve moisture as well as warm the soil.

Hollyhocks seem to tolerate a lot of heat and dry soil, and seem to prefer a gritty soil to grow in. You could try reading over on the GardenWeb to see what others have to say about them there. I also found this short intro to growing for the hollyhock beginner -- http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/701/14731

I was intrigued by the mention of black hollyhocks being used in herbalism in place of hibiscus flowers myself. I'd be interested if anyone knows anything about whether they are used for high blood pressure treatment. I was thinking about posting about plants used for treating high blood pressure (since a few of us on this board seem to suffer with it) and found this. Now i'm very curious!

-- Anonymous, July 10, 2001

Thanks...I'll definitely check out the link! I am transforming our old gravel driveway into a new entry way, with perennials and specimen plants along the path. Since there's already a lot of "grit" and stuff there, perhaps I won't have to amend the soil too much. I have one area that is south-facing and gets hot in the afternoon. Guess I had better do my homework! I love their lovely blooms!

I think I just read in CS (? last ish) that hollyhocks were grown outside the privies b/c they helped with any odors as well as blocked the unsightliness of the building (gee, couldn't they make it sightly?)

Thanks. Off to the garden....

-- Anonymous, July 10, 2001

Someone in my neighborhood has a beautiful stand of two colors of pink. I'm thinking maybe I can get some seed this fall. They are growing out in the full sun. The soil here is clay, but of course, they may have amended it prior to planting.

I thought they were biennials? Doesn't that mean blooms only in the second year, then dies? Grandma's definitely bloomed every year, but maybe she had plants of varying ages. I sure didn't pay as close attention as Julie did.

I like the singles too. The double-flowered cultivars seem to be most easily available these days, but I don't like them.

-- Anonymous, July 10, 2001

Joy, I believe they are bi. but once you have them you have them, as they self sow really well, once they find the spot they like they settle down there for years. Ours are out by our red barn and I think they look so pretty with the sunflowers. They just come back every year, I don't have to do anything.

-- Anonymous, July 10, 2001

Hmmm... it is always interesting that I'm the one where something is suppose to happen and it doesn't...

one is... my outhouse isn't sightly... looks kinda nice if you ask me... ;-}

and two I used my holly hocks, single flower to hide the septic tank vent... and they do not come back year after year without being planted.... Trendle... what do you do special??

on the spiritual level using flower essences... holly hock helps you develop courage and personal power. This essence helps you dissolve codependency and manipulation by others. This is a great essence for when you are trapped in damaging relationships or trapped in cult activity. On a spiritual level this essence helps you connect with your divine (I AM) self and remember you are a spiritual being enjoying a physical world.

is this to much enlightment sheepish??? hope not...

-- Anonymous, July 10, 2001

Yarrow, not at all. Must be a reason why I am gravitating to hollyhocks, even with their rust problems! thx!

-- Anonymous, July 10, 2001

Yarrow, I'm sorry yours don't come back. No, I don't do anything special, but then I never do, long ago decided to abandon rules and go with the flow. YOu aren't cuttting them down before they go to seed are you? Of course not.Maybe it's because they know that I need them as I have been manipulated in the past! Sheepish I sure haven't done anything to my dirt where they grow, it's just the good ole clay that is in these parts. Only thing that has ever bugged them is the Japanese Beetles, but the beetles seem quite content to hang out on my Raspberries this year.! Don't worry about any problems, your Hollyhocks will be beautiful! P.S. mine are red and pink and if you don't get ahold of seeds , I will contribute this fall. Have you seen the miniture Hollyhocks? They are beautiful too! TRen

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

I usually have seed for miniature Hollyhocks (Malva) -- light pink ones -- every fall. They seem to seed themselves all over the place too, quite easily, and develop enormous deep root systems even in sandy and poor soil, very drought tolerant when established, but don't think about trying to move them then! It becomes back-hoe work almost, and they don't like that, usually pout and then die. Better to seed them where you want them and leave them alone. If anyone wants seed, I'll try and collect some for you this fall.

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

Julie, what are these pink flowers growing out in front here? I was thinking they're Sidlacia [sp?], but now I'm wondering if they're Malva. I always get lots of seed every fall, and can collect that. Didn't I give you a bunch? Did you sow any?

As soon as we figure out what they are, I'd be happy to offer to save seed for anyone who wants to try them. They're 2-3 ft tall, pink, buds and blossoms look like miniature hollyhocks, but the leaves look nothing like hollyhocks, and they have little seeds sort of like poppy seed. I might also be able to offer some ladybells seed, depending on how well that does on seed production this year.

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2001

Hiya Sheepish!

Glad to see you getting interested in a good civil perenial like hollyhawks. My mama kept em on the south side of her kitchen garden.

They are perenials, and can be planted anytime up to about 80 days before frost to come up next year. They will also self seed, unless you deadhead. I've known them to come up successfully in quite a range of garden environments, from full hard bright blasting sun to partial sun and still flower well. I think if I were starting a new bed, I'd try for fertile loam, erring on the side of drainage. They do like water, but mine have accepted dry conditions pretty well, so long as you didn't make them go for too long without water. I guess I think of them as being willing to grow under the same conditions as the commen tomatoe. Lots of nitrogen at first, potassium to flower. Compost and/or well rotted manure or manure/hay, added at the rate of one inch a year in the springtime is good. Like tomatoes, they also like staking, or low cages to keep them from blowing down in the wind.

Best of luck. And don't forget, if you pluck two lovely blossems, and stick a toothpick into the stem of one, and slip the other on sideways, you'll have a little hollyhock doll. (My mama taught me that one-looks like a bright face and pretty frilled skirt)

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001