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?

Hi ProudGM, If you have problems with Hollyhock rust then dig them up and out they go into the trash, don't add them to the compost heap. I've been able to control most leaf problems with the use of a systemic rose treatment which controls rust, leaf spot and powdery mildew. I use a product made by Bayer--you just toss a cap down onto the ground under the plant and scratch it in. If you can find a different brand that appeals to you it will be the same effect--where I am I think Bayer is the only one that I can find which does the work quick, easy and efficiently. T

The answer is both. It depends on the variety. Some hollyhock varieties are very hardy perennials. Some are annuals. Same for foxgloves. Most any plant species will have A, P, and B members. Which variety is the important thing.

Hollyhocks (Alcea) are a biennial, so they make a low rosette of leaves the first year. Depending on how large the rosette gets this year, you may have just the low leaves next year, but more probably with your long fall, yours will be large enough so that you will get a flowering stalk shooting up next year. It will be the same plant, as Floral says. You may get a third year, but more probably your current plants will die at the end of next season after flowering. If you plant a few seeds each year (or let seeds sow themselves) then every year you will have some plants in the first year of just leaves and some plants flowering. And just to be confusing, there is another related plant, Malva (such as Zebrina), that is occasionally called hollyhocks that is perennial. It is much shorter.