Saturday, July 24, 2021

Hollyhocks

 My Mom grows some great Hollyhocks.   I have never had good luck growing them.   It is one of those plants either you can or can't.



She has Rose Wave Petunias on that old wagon in the back. 

I have heard tell that some women used to throw their dish water out the back door...(before indoor plumbing)...and that was a great place to grow Hollyhocks.

 Far Side

29 comments:

Val Ewing said...

I used to grow them too, but not as well as that! Wow! I tried gladiolus once too and failed as they kept tipping over.
What a pretty yard they have! Love the wagon with the petunias, such cheery colors.

Betsy said...

Oh my goodness! Those hollyhocks are gorgeous Connie! Your Mom definitely has a gift doesn't she? And the wagon full of petunias is wonderful. What a treat for the eys this morning. Thank you!
Blessings and hugs,
Betsy

The Feminine Energy said...

Your mom's hollyhocks are absolutely gorgeous, Connie! I've heard that a weak mixture of dish soap & water will kill bugs on plants. I wonder if that's why the dishwater trick worked so well in times past? ~Andrea xoxoxo

Dawn said...

Planted hollyhocks once. Deer ate every bit of them.

Lea said...

Beautiful flowers!
Have a blessed day!

Sara said...

Her flowers are gorgeous!! We had a lovely stand of holly hocks when we lived on the farm. They were along one corner of our yard fence. As long as I didn't touch them with my brown thumb, they did great. My mom always had holly hocks too.

Martha said...

Those are quite impressive!

Rita said...

Beautful. Your mom sure has the hollyhock touch! :)

Laurel Wood said...

Beautiful!

Maebeme said...

Wow, the holly hocks are gorgeous! My neighbour has them in her back yard and I occasionally find one or two growing in the sidewalk cracks across the fence but they don't get enough sun and, of course, I don't want them there so they get pulled.

Your mention of throwing out the dishwater reminds of a story when I was a baby. The woman who would be my godmother came to the house to sell Avon and when she got to the door my mom was just coming out with the pan of dishwater to toss on the garden. They startled each other, my mother screamed, but neither got wet. That was the beginning of a life long friendship!

Bonnie said...

Your Mom is quite the gardener. Those Hollyhocks are so full and beautiful! I hope your Dad is doing well!

DJan said...

I must be a can't grow 'em person. I tried twice in my garden but they always looked kind of scraggly. Nothing like your mom's! :-)

aurora said...

Your moms hollyhocks are so beautiful!! Absolutely love all the different shades of pink/red. I've grown a few individual hollyhock in the past, always had to stake mine. If I remember correctly they reseed themselves, or does she replant every year?

Far Side of Fifty said...

They reseed..one year for growth and the second year for a flower:)

Granny Marigold said...

How wonderful your mother's hollyhocks are!! I have a few scrawny ones that tower over me and have rusty leaves. They do self-seed though.

The Furry Gnome said...

Yes, those are great looking Hollyhocks!

aurora said...

Ohhh, yes! Now I remember. Your mom for sure has a green thumb!! Please let her know, I love her flowers :))

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Oh so pretty

L. D. said...

They are beautiful. At the old place the neighbor grows here on the south of the house and they are great. I have one little area that did bloom up there. I have a few mor diggings for bulbs from the old place before I leave it.

Miss Merry said...

I have always heard that hollyhocks flower the second year. I will never know because every time I try to plant them, my husband pulls them up for weeds the first year. I have also heard they reseed. But, again, . . . . .

Henny Penny said...

Oh how pretty! I want to grow Hollyhocks too. That was another of mama's favorite flowers. I bought three bulbs in early spring and planted them in the garden. Two have come up but don't look like they will bloom this year. Maybe I should haul my dishwater up to the garden.

diane in northern wis said...

Oh my gosh, those hollyhocks are gorgeous! I've never seen so many in a row in all those colors. I can remember us having some in our backyard when I was growing up. They're so pretty. Your mom really knows her stuff! Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures!

Karen said...

My gran had the most beautiful geraniums and zinnias growing round her back porch. She dumped dishwater, potato water and cold tea leaves on them.

Diana said...

If I could cat-whistle at those hollyhocks I would! Wowzers, those are stunning! I used to grow hollyhocks all the time. For some reason I set my descendant seeds aside and forgot about them, but re-found them last month. Gonna hafta plant them!

Linda Reeder said...

Oh those hollyhocks are so beautiful.
We can't grow them here either.

Georgina said...

I know someone who grows hollyhocks taller than your mum’s house. They’re amazing. Mine only grow and hip high. But the flowers are black.

Shirley said...

Lovely hollyhocks! I only have black ones. They do get really tall but mine get rusty leaves. Not too bad this year though. Your mom's make me want to try adding in some other colours.

www.self-sufficientsam.blogspot.com said...

Hollyhocks remind me of my childhood. Your Mom has a very green thumb! Her flowers are beautiful!

Unknown said...

I had hollyhocks when I first moved in here. They grew and grew, but when I was ready to get rid of them dang it was a nightmare. Still love them though and want to find a better place to plant some again.