Hollyhock Seeds Cottage Garden Attracts Butterflies Bees Birds Pollinators Feed Native Birds Urban Food Forest/Garden

We are a URBAN FOOD FOREST in a large subdivision, located on the beautiful Vancouver Island on the Westcoast of Canada. While we started our journey to grow food, it soon became apparent the bees didn’t know we were there, so began our journey growing for the Bees, Pollinators, Butterflies, Birds & one of our favorite the Humming birds. Not only are they essential to grow food, they all play an important part in a healthy eco system with in your own yard. Hollyhocks Alcea rosea 6’ Blooms late spring into fall Double & Ruffled Blooms A cottage garden classic that never fails to impress This is a selection of our most popular Hollyhocks seeds, blended for planting en masse to create a beautiful cottage garden. Tall spires grow to 2m (6’) or more, with single, double, & ruffled flowers that fill in empty garden spaces with blooms in rose, pink, white, chocolate, purple, & lavender. This blend looks sensational from late spring to frost. Hollyhocks are both tall & drought tolerant, so they are a nice choice for xeriscaping. Avoid overhead watering with hollyhocks in order to delay foliar diseases, including rust & powdery mildew. These are not uncommon problems for hollyhocks, but rarely make much impact. Hollyhocks defy the simple definition of annual, biennial, & perennial depending on when, where, & how they are planted. Technically, this species is a short lived perennial. If started early enough indoors, it will flower the first year & can be treated as an annual. Planted later in spring, it will bloom in the second year as a traditional biennial. Continue reading below for tips on how to grow hollyhocks from seed. Latin Alcea rosea Family: Malvaceae Difficulty Easy Season & Zone Exposure: Full sun to partial shade Zone: Hardy to Zone 5 Timing Start hollyhocks 6-8 weeks before planting out after the last frost date. in mild winter areas, start seeds indoors in late February to early March, & transplant out in April or May. An early start usually results in flowering the first year. Seeds germinate in 10-14 days. Ideal soil temperature for germination: 15-21oC (60-70oF). Starting Sow seeds on the surface of the soil, & provide bright light. Use peat or coir pots in an effort to minimize root disturbance. Transplant at 45-60cm (18-36) apart. Growing Grow in rich, moist soil with good drainage & a neutral pH range of 6.0-7.5. The most important factor is good air circulation, so do not crowd plants or plant too close to structures, hedges, etc… Keep well watered & feed a few times during the growing season. If the flower stalk is cut back immediately after finishing, plants may bloom again. Stake tall plants. Rust is a leaf disease to which hollyhocks are especially prone. It is worse on older plants & can be kept in check by replacing plants every couple of years. Hollyhock Seeds Cottage Garden Attracts Butterflies Bees Birds Pollinators Feed Native Birds Urban Food Forest/Garden