I grew a new miniature hollyhock series this year called Spring Celebrities. I was a little hesitant to try something I know the Japanese beetles adore, but thankfully they have been so distracted by my new roses that they haven’t found time in their busy schedules to attack my hollyhocks.
Spring Celebrities hollyhocks grow only 2 to 3 feet tall. They bloom a little later in the growing season than most annuals (my plants started blooming at the beginning of August) so they add pizazz when the rest of the garden flowers are getting a little tired and worn.
I sprouted mine from seed indoors in April. I tried Carmine-rose:
Crimson:
and White:
They also come in yellow, purple, pink and a mix.
The flowers are huge and the plants are so short and stocky that they don’t require any staking. I planted mine in partial sun where they are thriving, but I also had a few leftover plants that I tucked into a bed that receives only dappled sun throughout the day. The hollyhocks are just as happy in that bed as they are in the sunnier bed.
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Have tried these and another variety (Showgirls) from Sutton Seed purchased locally. But they were too late flowering. Last year I bought one plant, a purple. No better results.
I was so excited about these because they bloomed so nicely in partial-shade. But yes, it did take a loooong time for them to start blooming. I didn’t grow them again because a month later they started croaking one by one:
http://emsgarden.com/?p=10255
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