I've pretty much given up on hollyhocks since they get rust (disease) badly and end up looking awful. You could check out Jerusalem artichokes, which are a type of perennial sunflower (with edible root tubers) that weren't affected by any pests or critters when I grew them and will fill any space you give them. A 24" wide bed of them should provide a good screen. As Duluth suggested, vines are a good idea for a narrow screen. I've grown scarlet runner beans for a screen. They're an annual that I just grew up strings. One of the more robust clematis or one of the native honeysuckles might work well, too. You'll need to choose the best type of support for the vine you choose, but since I don't know what type of fence you have, I won't make any suggestions. Beans and honeysuckle twine around supports with their stems and clematis with the leaf stem (petiole.) Folks on the conifer forum will likely be able to give you ideas on some of the narrow conifers. Is your pool close enough that you need to choose a plant without much litter?

This is my first time growing these plants I've always longed for. I wintersowed seeds from my neighbour's deep burgundy plant and one bloomed pure white, the other a very pale yellow. Do they not come true to the parent? No, they don't come true from seed. Hollyhocks cross with any other hollyhock nearby, they don't have to be in your yard but only within a bee's flight path. If a bee visits a hollyhock in your neighborhood and that pollen is still on its legs when it visits another hollyhock then crossing can and usually does occur. The white flowered plant was(or is) amazing - took off like it was on steroids - about 8 feet tall and at least 4 feet wide, with about 8 stalks which obliterated the two plants on either side. The leftmost was one little stalk with the pale yellow blooms, the other never reached maturity and is still a little leafy shrub. I am planning to cut back the stalks on the hulking monster because I understand they self-seed, but it has a nice little rosette of new leaves forming at its roots. Will this die off over winter, or do I have to dig it up? I'm in zone seven and my perennial hollyhocks maintain a semi-evergreen basal rosette of leaves. In spring I have to clean them up and pull out the gnarliest looking ones to make it a look a lot better. Some hollyhocks don't behave as perennials, they may by an annual or short-lived perennial. If you have soil that doesn't drain well in winter your hollyhock might not survive, they don't do well with "wet feet" in winter, they get crown rot and die. Also, will the little one which did not reach maturity survive the winter and bloom next summer? If it didn't bloom this year it's likely a perennial or biennial and will bloom next year. I used to live in zone 4b and our perennial hollyhocks did survive. They died entirely back to the ground and sprouted again in mid-spring, they were growing in a rock garden and had excellent drainage. My neighbor lived along a stream bank that had reseeding hollyhocks on the bank--those which were higher up on the bank suruvived winter because they had good drainage, but the hollyhocks which were closer down to the stream didn't survive because the soil was too moist during winter and early spring. The survival of perennial hollyhocks is influenced by drainage in winter--with good drainage they should survive. P.S. At first I was deeply disappointed with the white blooms, but I came to like them, they were pure-white and beautifully formed. But I don't think I really want them again. I wanted a contrast for my trumpet lilies Regale alba. N. Gardens are full of surprises, maybe you could grow another plant among the lilies and hollyhocks to accent them both. Lilies often have a dark purple hue on the backs of their petals, maybe some plum-toned flowers or vines will help pull it all together for you. Trudi

Hello Bulletz: I think that you have probably missed your window of opportunity to move a hollyhock in blooming mode. They have extensive root systems which would inevitably be damaged were you to try and dig it up... the good news is that 1. they are pretty good about not being knocked over by strong winds and 2. they are biennials: they only really work well for two years. The first year they are just leaves and the second year they bloom. Thereafter you are lucky for whatever you get. Sow your seeds now in small pots and plant them in your preferred spot this fall for bloom next year. Works every time!

Hi Wytch and all, I typically follow mother nature's regime where seeds fall from our mature hollyhocks in mid to late summer and sprout to become little plants before winter, to survive and bloom the following winter (whether perennial types or biennial types)....soooo, I'd say in zone 7 you're fine to plant them right now to get small plants to overwinter this winter. I bet most will bloom next year (if the perennial type) or all will (if the biennial type). I just planted a few (okay a ton) seeds two weeks ago and they're up and making great progress. They've got enough time to become reasonable small plants by winter to bloom next year. For summer-sowing, I just start them in pots outside (though in the ground would work as well). Oh, and I move mine all the time except when they're getting ready to flower, I think the best time is in spring after they're showing signs of waking up again, but not growing full-bore yet. Just keep them well watered when you move them. Let us know what you do, and how it works out. Like most things, if you ask four gardeners you'll get five answers, so I'm sure others will chime in with methods just as good, or better, than mine. :) Take care, Grant Here is a link that might be useful: 'Old Barnyard' hollyhocks from Wayside