Seven foot tall and appearing where no Hollyhocks have appeared before. These are out in the front border.
I've frequently tried to invite them into various gardens without much luck, although maybe one might have appeared in the back garden in my first year here? - never to be seen again.
BiL has lots growing every year right by his path to the back door. I never remember to collect seed pods to bring home - I'll try to remember this year.
It's been a mostly chilly week because Summer went away around midday on Tuesday. It came back briefly for a few hours on Thursday so people didn't get wet while going out to vote but Wednesday and Friday were horribly cold and grey and the wind on several days has had a real bite to it.
I raced around Monday morning getting loads of jobs done so I could watch the tennis and have been watching as much as possible all week. Thursday was the best day with so many Brits playing - all at once sometimes. Did you know there are 46 courts at Wimbledon if you include the practice courts and the 8 clay courts, I didn't, until it was a question on the Radio 2 Zoe Ball show mini quiz. Play on 18 main courts are often all on TV - difficult to choose.
I'd planned a swim again Friday but woke up feeling rough so cancelled that until next week, my own fault for getting cold when shopping.
This week I've been grateful for
- Gift of Broad Beans from BiL who had been gifted more than he needed from a neighbour
- Huge bowlful of raspberries from the garden everyday
- Tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes all ready now
- Another handful of green beans
- Plenty of good reading. (The final Maisie Dobbs from Jacqueline Winspear was excellent)
- Rain - just in time to fill the water butts
Not sure what I'm doing this weekend.
Hollyhocks seem to be happy near dry asphalt areas, Victorian painters loved them. It was a very peaceful changeover, probably the Conservative Party was happy to hand over the stress of running this country.
ReplyDeleteHope the next 5 years are equally peaceful - we shall see!
DeleteI have a couple of Hollyhocks in the long border, growing v. slowly though - as is everything this "summer". They were happier in the stone area in front of the house but the seed I sprinkled there hasn't produced anything.
ReplyDeleteEnvious of your bowls of raspberries - mine NOT at all happy where they are planted on the Bank. I think I need to muck-heap them . . . in fact, I'm SURE I do!
I've even put a few raspberries in the freezer this year
DeleteHave you done any major digging or clearing in that border? A few years ago, one of my borders underwent massive clearing out and months later all sorts of things that had not been sown or planted during the clearance started growing. Things that I thought had long gone, but obviously were lying dormant just waiting.
ReplyDeleteThe front border is a bit of a muddle, lots of periwinkle spreading, and the soil is rock hard
DeleteI do love the Hollyhocks and I especially love the single flowered varieties rather than the double. Hope you enjoy the weekend whatever you decide to do! 😁
ReplyDeleteThey are adding a lot of height out there this year, as tall as the young silver birch
DeleteI like it when things grow randomly. They choose the spots they like the best.
ReplyDeleteFirst it was lots of foxgloves in the back and then these out the front. I would welcome many more self seeded things!
DeleteHope you have a good weekend - I find the difficult now I live alone , so grateful for the tennis as that gives me something to watch
ReplyDeleteSiobhan x
Wet weekends are especially horrible alone - thank goodness for good books and sport on TV
DeleteWe are finishing emptying the loft this weekend apart from the boxes for my sewing machines. We have had six dining room chairs up there for about 20 years but can’t give them to charity because I recovered them. I am going to upcycle two for the study and the rest will be broken up and the wood used at the Men’s Shed. We never have large groups of people anymore so the six chairs we have in the dining room will do well enough. Managed to get rid of stuff on the local FB page yesterday so nearly done-yippee! Catriona
ReplyDeleteMy huge dining table is going to go soon I hope - I can't cater for 12 anymore! too much like hard work
DeleteI love hollyhocks - great for both height and colour.
ReplyDeleteAre you feeling better again now - I do hope so. xx
Yes I'm fine thanks, just got hot and cold and ache -y - didn't fancy swimming
DeleteLove Hollyhocks and I was given some seeds but put them in a safe place!
ReplyDeleteI must remember to bring home lots of seeds from BiL and throw them everywhere to see what happens
DeleteThe hollyhocks are stunning.
ReplyDeleteInteresting how quickly they can move one PM out and one in , in a matter of hours, would that moving was that simple for us mere mortals 😀
Alison in Wales x
It would have been good to have not had all the buying selling hassles in the last moves - taking 6 months each. Imagine an ex- PM having to stay put in no. 10 for 6 months!
DeleteI’m nursing hollyhocks here sown 3 years ago but now the wind has got them. Plenty more to plant out but they seem reluctant to flower but I love them. Hope you get to save some seed from yours.nSarahbBrowne.
ReplyDeleteMust make a note to myself to remember to bring home seed heads from BiL.
DeleteThose flowers are very pretty! I hope you have luck with seeds from your BIL.
ReplyDeleteI am still waiting for the Maisie Dobbs book. There was quite a long hold list and it's taking a while. Enjoy your weekend, Sue.
It's a good final story - happy and sad. I shall miss them
DeleteHollyhocks are a favorite of mine but I've never been able to grow them well. I love your gratitude list. Dark black Michigan sweet cherries are a favorite of mine and yesterday I bought two giant bags of them. I'm very grateful for (the very short) cherry season!
ReplyDeleteThose cherries sound delicious. South Suffolk was once well known for cherry orchards - Not sure if they are still there.
DeleteBloom where we land.
ReplyDeleteExactly
DeleteLovely hollyhocks. My random plants are honesty, which I love and use for dried arrangements, and which grow wherever they please, without asking me!
ReplyDeleteHonesty is another plant that I've tried to grow and had no luck. I remember them growing well on the edge of the primary school playing field before I even knew what they were
DeleteI love hollyhocks, was so sad when the local grounds keepers of the neighborhood, chopped down a gorgeous old stand of black hollyhocks that grew around an electrical transformer. They appeared after H Sandy.
ReplyDeleteRem hollyhocks are biennial until very established, so mark any first year seedlings, they won't bloom and people pull them out as weeds.
I'm going to throw seeds everywhere - if I remember to collect them. BiL has several different colours too
DeleteYour hollyhocks are fantastic. 7 ft. tall with lots of flowers is lovely and they stand on their own with no stakes. Perfection. I've planted hollyhocks many times over the years with no success. This year somehow two single hollyhocks have appeared, one stands maybe 2 feet tall and the other one was 1.5 feet and a deer ate all the buds and leaves. Pitiful. Your fruit and veg harvest sounds outstanding.
ReplyDeleteAnnoying when things get eaten. Raspberries have been wonderful - a real treat
DeleteI would love to see hollyhocks pop up like that in our garden. I have tried growing them before but without any luck as they always developed a severe case of rust and curled up their leaves and died.
ReplyDeleteYour summer is starting to sound a bit like our winter! I hope you manage to have some good summery weather soon :)
Rust can be a big problem. These have some signs of it but not enough to stop them growing which is good
DeleteMum used to grow hollyhocks, I have tried…they never seem as majestic in my borders as they did hers, and then they vanish…preyed upon by slugs and snails and the countless other mini creatures that live in our garden.
ReplyDeleteI know they don't do well transplanted - as I tried that, and no luck from purposely sowing seeds either. Just have to throw in seeds and hope!
DeleteHow lovely to have the Hollyhocks grow right there. They seem to be doing really well. Perhaps the birds helped with the seeds lol
ReplyDelete