Thursday, August 4, 2011

My Walkabouts





My Hollyhocks walk all over my Garden
Remains of Hollyhocks have been found in a Neanderthal burial site near Shanidor, Kuristan.


Hollyhocks belong to the Mallow Family.
It is a biennial or a short lived perennial.


It wasn't until I planted a few "Negro" Hollyhock seeds that peach and lavender colors showed up in my garden.



The bees do the pollinating and the deer, the wind and the birds do the scattering of seeds.



I never cease to be amazed by the sheer volume of color and shapes.



They will often plant themselves by a water spout.



In the Fall, when seeds have dried, lay the entire stalk in a place where you want them to grow.



Seeds need light to germinate.  Hollyhocks are difficult to transplant unless they are under 2 inches tall.



Hollyhocks are very easy to dry in sand.



Yes, my Salpiglossis are still going strong.
Thanks for asking.




But which is my favorite color?



Now my Sweet Peas are also blooming.



And my roses, how could I put them last? 
Gina






38 comments:

  1. OMG, Gina, these things are so beautiful! I would be like you...just let them grow and be happy, no matter where. xx's

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  2. Beautiful, beautiful flowers! xo,

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  3. Gina, I think we should call your place Findhorn West!

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  4. Hi Splenderosa, Nothing could be easier than letting Hollyhocks do their own thing...it is what they do best. Thank you for your lovely comment. I'm looking forward to your new shop.

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  5. Hi Barbara, These guys even grow in my cement cracks. Thanks for your visit.

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  6. Hello Mark, Gosh, I had to look up Findhorst West. Now I'm a little smarter than I was before. By the way, I don't show pictures of the weeds and all the open space which need attention. Gardening is easy when you only show what looks best.
    Gina

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  7. such a pretty garden, all the things i never see since i room with deer~

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  8. Oh I love the hollyhocks and sweet peas. I grow both also but this year with the wet and the exteme heat in the South not doing as well. I wish they would self seed this year.

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  9. A great post! Your hollyhocks look wonderful... mine got a horrible case of rust this season so I had to pull them all. I've tried Salpiglossis a couple times with little success. Wonderful to see all the color in your garden! Larry

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  10. Gina, I love your hollyhocks. I have failed many times to grow them. I will have to enjoy yours, so I'm now following you. Thanks to Tracie at Fishtail Cottage we can fnd so many lovely gardens.

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  11. Gorgeous hollyhocks, Gina. I planted a few but they are only a couple of feet high at this point. Thanks for the tips on growing them.

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  12. Your flowers are beautiful! I love Hollyhocks. Mine aren't coming up this year. I need to reseed. Thanks for linking it to Home Sweet Home!
    Sherry

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  13. Gina, The flowers and your photographs are both beautiful. I Love the Hollyhocks. Thanks for linking to my party and have a great weekend.
    xo,
    Sherry

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  14. Hi Blue Moon, Deer are wonderful to watch.

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  15. Hi Marie Arden, You're right, both flowers need cooler weather. I'll send you a bunch of seeds if you will remind me later in the Fall. Thank you for your visit.
    Gina

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  16. Hi Barb-Bella, Thank you so much for your visit and compliments. It is truly appreciated.

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  17. Hi Larry, spent a little time in your garden yesterday. I'm speechless. What beauty everywhere. Truly, a fine masterpiece of garden know-how.
    Try a new spot for your hollyhocks and give them plenty of water. Water from the bottom. Salpiglossis are very temperamental. They like cooler temperatures and new soil every year. But they are worth the extra trouble.
    Thank you for your visit and I enjoyed my visit to your beautiful garden.
    Gina

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  18. Hi Shirley, Don't give up on Hollyhocks...next time it might just work. Thank you for your visit and you are right, blogging has made it possible to meet some extra special friends.

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  19. Hello my Little Home. Because Hollyhocks are biennial, they will probably not be too showy this year...but wait for next year and they will surprise you with their beauty. In the meantime, plant new seeds, they do best from seed but it does take two years and then, sadly, they go on a decline.

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  20. Hi Sherry, Thank you for visiting. I'll send you seeds. Just remind me later in the Summer.

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  21. Hi Sherry (No Minimalist) Thank you for your lovely compliments. I am so happy to be part of your beautiful blog. Gina

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  22. Wow! These are so beautiful! I would love to have Hollyhocks walking all through my garden!
    Kathy

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  23. Hi Kathy, It's very easy but you might have to wait 2 years. There are plants available that will bloom the first year but those Hollyhocks which are grown from seeds are much more beautiful. Thank you for your visit.

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  24. You know, Gina, I have never grown hollyhocks. Geez! Why in the world not? So you think I should place the seeds directly in the ground or start them and transplant before 2" tall?

    I believe we need to purchase the empty lot next to us to do this. Hmmm....

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  25. Hi Ann, With your green thumb you will have hollyhocks growing in no time. Hollyhocks need light to germinate, so barely cover them with soil, just enough so the birds won't get them. You can start them in pots and then transplant them, even if they are a little taller than 2 inches. It is when you transplant them from your garden that you should try to keep them small. I'm happy to send you seeds from my most special and beautiful. And yes, purchase the empty lot next door, give yourself a little extra room.
    Cheers, Gina

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  26. Absolutely gorgeous! You have such a beautiful garden Gina and it did my heart good to see my favorite flower in the mix...sweet peas! :-) Thanks so much for sharing this last weekend at Inspiration Friday~
    Vanessa

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  27. Your hollyhocks are absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing at Feathered Nest Friday! :)

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  28. Hi Vanessa, I posted pictures of my favorite Sweet Peas this morning. I think that you will like these.

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  29. Hi Courtney, Thank you so much for your comment. I don't know why more people don't enjoy hollyhocks in their homes. They are so beautiful, inside and out.

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  30. Gorgeous hollyhocks, just grogeous, the colors are incredible!! Hugs, FABBY

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  31. Oh, love the dry ones too and do you know how to?! Love, FABBY

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  32. What a vibrant explosion of color!!!

    Soon I'm going to put up a collection of photos I took for you of hand-painted pieces in Arezzo. Sorry for the delay--it's been insane here with the packing/moving/getting the ETSY up and running!

    Hugs/blessings,
    Lana

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  33. I like ALL the colors! They're beautiful!!!!!!

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  34. Hi Fabby, Drying flowers is easy. Make sure that they have no moisture still within them. Then dry them in builders sand. Wait for about 4 days and take them out of the sand.

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  35. Dear Lana, I'm very excited about seeing what you have found in Arezzo. We will be in Italy next week. Can you wait to post your pictures till I get back. I wouldn't want to miss them. Thank you for thinking of me.
    Gina

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  36. The colors are amazing. I don't know how you get such vivid colors but they speak to my heart.
    Jenna

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  37. Hello Jenna, I keep selecting the best. I've been known to collect seeds from other gardens. Hollyhocks are such wonderful plants. They decide where they want to grow...so, I let them. Thank you for your visit. Gina

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