When I think of summer, I think of Hollyhocks. They were in all the gardens of my childhood and I made sure that, wherever I lived after I was grown, I had them in my own gardens.
Their wonderful crinkly, delicate petals, so well suited to making hollyhock ballerinas. Or Faeries.
The bees adore them; I think that one on the left is using part of the hollyhock as a dress!
And, perhaps, a hat as well...
Like Fireweed, which my friend in Alaska calls a 'time keeping' plant because its flowers open from the bottom of the plant at the start of summer and continue on up the plant as summer progresses, the hollyhock, for the most part, does the same. When the last flowers at the very top of the plant have opened, then faded and fallen off, you know that Autumn will soon sweep in on a chill breeze...and hollyhock time won't be back until next summer.
When I think of summer, I think of Hollyhocks. They were in all the gardens of my childhood and I made sure that, wherever I lived after I was grown, I had them in my own gardens.
Their wonderful crinkly, delicate petals, so well suited to making hollyhock ballerinas. Or Faeries.
The bees adore them; I think that one on the left is using part of the hollyhock as a dress!
And, perhaps, a hat as well... 
Like Fireweed, which my friend in Alaska calls a 'time keeping' plant because its flowers open from the bottom of the plant at the start of summer and continue on up the plant as summer progresses, the hollyhock, for the most part, does the same. When the last flowers at the very top of the plant have opened, then faded and fallen off, you know that Autumn will soon sweep in on a chill breeze...and hollyhock time won't be back until next summer.
A beautiful flower. I really must consider getting some for my garden.
ReplyDeleteThey're very easy to grow, OC, and they self-seed readily.
ReplyDelete