I had a rust blight this fall that wiped out all my hollyhocks. I had so many seedlings, it was a pity. The good news is that is was confined to hollyhocks and did not spread to anything else. Here's hoping that bird flu is as species specific as rust seems to be!

Don't panic about rust and feel like it "comes with the territory," b/c i've been growing hollies for years w/o this problem. I do not have full sun, which I imagine would be a deterrent to any type of fungus, so you may be ok.

There is an annual type of hollyhock that blooms the first (and only) year, but I can't recommend them as I had no luck. They are not the tall, old fashioned beauties that everyone loves.

As far as varieties go, I've grown singles and doubles of all colors and there isn't one that is not charming. This past year I had gorgeous peach doubles (a Martha Stewart seed from Kmart).

They are well worth the wait. There may be types that bloom the first year, as I was told recently that there are foxgloves that do (thankfully no rust on my foxglove!).

Thanks, puppyscruff, for the info. It's good to hear that the rust seems to be confined to the hollyhocks.

I am pretty sure it's the perennial type my friend has shared and not the annual. Does the mother plant really die after blooming? Do most varieties self seed, or will I need to help out to ensure that the seeds get dispersed?

I don't have full sun either, so I better think long and hard about where I want to try to grow these.

I'm glad to hear that foxgloves don't normally bloom the first year either. I planted a foxglove in the spring and was suprised that it never bloomed. It was a nice size, but no flower stalk. I'm thinking about moving it in the spring. Will moving it prevent it from blooming for another year?

Thanks,
~Angie

I've grown the yellow rugose hollyhock for three years. It's supposed to be perennial but has proven to be biennial in my yard. No rust. The mother plant does die, but there's lots of seeds.

I have had hollyhocks last several years in my gardens. As of yet I haven't had any problems with rust but the deer and japanese beetles sure do love them. I grow mine in both sun and shade and have had doubles and singles. I do prefer the old fashion single ones for pure hollyhock beauty.

lynnencfan -

Do the ones in shade still bloom enough to suit you?

As far as deer, I would probably plant them in my backyard that is fenced in. So far no deer problems at all in my yard, but I do have a salad bar full of hostas in the back if they ever discovered it!

Have you found an effective control for the Japanese beetles? Last year they decimated my hardy hibiscus, and I know both the hibiscus and the hollyhock are in the Malvaceae family. It makes good sense that the beetles would love both.

Thanks,
~Angie

TreeGuard for deer, because eventually, especially as winter starts drying up food supply, the deer will find you and your hostas - it's a bad morning to go out with coffee for a stroll and find only nubs in your hosta bed. I use liquid Sevin judiciously once at beginning of June on only hollyhocks, japanese maples, hibiscus, and flowering apricot. Once seems to do it for JP - I think the liquid doesn't wash off as easy in rain. Also try growing 4 o'clocks - the JP love those poinsonous plants, and eating them kills those suckers dead!

Yes, Sevin does an OK job, but not perfect, of course. You've got to keep ahead of them. I'm not crazy about the way Sevin looks (even the spray)but it's better than the alternative.

Part sun is fine, as long as they get a few hours of morning sun. A woman I know grows them in a wild garden between tall trees. They do beautifully, but they do get some sun.

I have had certain individual plants come back...it's spotty.

They are my absolute fav flower. I guess I'd better start a hollyhock fund so I can buy plants in the spring.

peace, claire in sanford

lavendargrrl - they bloom very well for me in the shade. It is north side of the house shade on the side of the deck and they may get about 1 hour of overhead sun - my other ones are in dappled high pine shade and do quite nicely. I plan on having some out front next year in full sun - I just can never get enough of them. I am striving more and more for the 'southern' cottage garden look - I know I can not have the true 'english' cottage garden but will keep experimenting. ~~sigh~~ I cheat on "Carolina gardening forum" and spend alot of time lurkning and dreaming on the "Cottage garden forum" but I see other familiar names there too so I know I am not alone *wink*

If planted early enough in the season, there's a good chance they'll bloom that year. Most of mine did. I started mine in the house .

Nancy

That's a ray of hope for me, Nancy. I have some little ones now, but really don't know how to proceed with them unless I rig up some kind of a greenhouse.

How early did you start them?

claire in sanford

Claire, My old fashioned peach singles bloom the first year in half sun. How little are your "little ones"? I'd just put them out now in soil and let them enjoy this incredibly warm November. As long as they aren't really tiny seedlings, I bet they'll make it through winter.

I'm afraid of the rust still in the area. They are "quarantined!"

Claire - I would just put them in some protected area. In the thread about freezing in pots I mentioned some plants making it in my shade house still in six packs - Hollyhocks were some of those perennials. I started them in July one year and just left them in the six packs or 4" pots - the shade house (24'x8') is on the north side of my garage with lattice surrounding it and about a 4' opening (no door). The roof is shade cloth. Things do fine for me there over the winter

Maybe I'll try that Lynne. I have them outside, but in six pack type containers away from the rust beds.

I also want to look into getting a little greenhouse, sort of like the one Brenda posted.

Thanks so much for the tip, my cottage garden will not be the same without hollyhocks. Mine are not as nice as those I see from midwest posters, but they are still lovely.

I just read that you can do a makeshift coldframe out of four bales of hay in a square to insulate and an old window on top that would be raised on warm days to vent. I'm thinking of doing this for hollyhocks. Not very pretty, but practical.

claire
oklahoma annie posted that same straw bale/window cold frame idea and i latched onto it in a hurry! i thought it was all-around fantastic, not only because of the great insulating qualities of the straw/hay, but because you can make it disappear when no longer needed. i plan to set at least two of them up to get early starts on my long list of seeds to buy.
marsha

I really like it too. Gotta look for a big old style window.

One thing I DO NOT LIKE is plants on the INSIDE of the house...messy and I usually kill them once inside.

My mom had an old fashioned basement in MA with gro-lights on her seedlings. I'd rather use Mother Nature if possible.

Claire, that place in Aberdeen that was closed had old windows. I saw lots of them when we "spying" what was in there. Adele

Ok, I will kill two birds with one stone...clerodendrum baby kidnapping, then on to get the window.

BTW, if anyone's wondering, there is a cool recycled architectural and garden accessory place in Aberdeen near the old railroad tracks at the intersection of Routes 1 & 5. It's open Thurs-Sat. I think.

This is so interesting about the hollyhocks. I've just started growing them about two years ago. Have since gotten many seeds from them and now growing little ones.
I've left them out all winter before and they did fine. But, this year I've brought some into the cold frame to see how they do and if they will be early starters next spring....