Hock waves

Aim high for summer

IN the height of summer, hollyhocks are heavenly, bringing in butterflies and bees to feast on their flowers.

These tall, short-lived perennials are a must for a cottage-style garden, taking two years to complete their life cycle. They are usually sown in mid-summer directly outdoors for transplanting in their flowering positions in October.

The plants will flower during the following summer but to maintain a good display over the coming years, sow seeds over two successive years otherwise they will disappear.

They can reach three metres tall, with spikes of mallow lookalike blooms in rich and delicate shades, from the deepest crimsons to blush pinks, whites and pale yellow.

Flowers are crepe-textured and satiny and can be single or rosettes of double flowers. You might want to pick your garden favourite and save your own seed for sowing later.

Carnival

When buying seed, ideally choose rust-resistant varieties such as the Antwerp blend and Rosea. The younger and more vigorous, the less they are troubled by rust. Rust is more troublesome in damp weather, with yellow or orange pustules, or pimples, on the backs of the basal leaves.

Modern strains of hollyhock, such as the award-winning Summer Carnival, have been bred to flower in their first year as annuals. These can be sown in February-march ready to plant out in May. Grow some of these to keep the colour coming.

For best effect, plant hollyhocks in groups 60cm apart and grow plenty if you wish to arrange them in the vase.

When arranging the flowers, use their full height with several colours and types jumbled together or a single colour in a stately vase.

A good selection would be the vibrant bicoloured flowers of Good Golly Miss Holly and the powder puff-like blooms of Chater’s Double Apricot and the bright white Chater’s Double Icicle plus the creamy white single Halo White.

Blooms are also edible and best crystallised and used to decorate cakes and to make delicately flavoured syrup to serve with puddings.