Oh the glories of summer - one of them is hollyhocks. I had a few plants last year and the deer thought they tasted so good. This year my friend Linda gave me a plant - a big plant - it already had buds on it - and I planted it close to the porch and used Liquid Fence (organic, non-toxic) spray for deer, or rather, anti-deer. It worked - the hollyhock grew and grew and grew - and last night it bloomed. We didn't have any idea of the color so it was a wonderful surprise.
The first picture was last night - the other two this morning . . .
The prettiest thing . . .Hollyhocks used to be very utilitarian - in the days before indoor plumbing, hollyhocks were always planted by the outdoor facilities so that ladies wouldn't have to embarrass themselves by asking where to go. They would simply look for the tall spires of hollyhocks in the back yard. I'm not sure what they did in the winter.
Next door to the hollyhock is a big patch of Shasta Daisies - just ready to bloom . . .Soon there will be big white daisies everywhere . I am going to show Jahn and Ben how to make them turn colors using food coloring.
Speaking of things from long ago (in first grade I learned to do the food coloring/daisy thing) Last night we saw a VW Bug and I tapped Ben and said "slug bug". He and Jahn have been playing it for some time now, but he looked up and me and said, "How did you know about that game?"
I told him that his mommy and auntie and uncle had played Slug Bug when they were little kids. He was shocked and said "huh, I had no idea it was around that long". What a boy!!!
And now back to flowers . . .
Didn't want the pansies on the porch, near the hollyhock and daisies, to feel left out so took their pretty little picture while I was out there. The plants have suffered some from the heat - but hopefully they will make it through with the cooler temps today.
Be sure to stop over and see Mary at Little Red House for more Mosaic Mondays - she has a wonderful list to view.
23 comments:
I LOVE hollyhocks. They're one of my all time favorite flowers, and I can't seem to keep them growing here. It's so cool to read about how much you're enjoying yours. I hope you have fun with the daisy dying - that magic never gets old. Neither does the simple beauty of pansies.
Beautiful flowers! As a gardener and a quilter I love to see the pretties that grow in other's gardens. Hollyhocks and pansies are two of my favorites. Thanks for showing these.
Just gorgeous! I love hollyhocks, but I don't think we can grow them here. Too hot. The faces on those pansies are the sweetest! I miss mine come June!
XO,
Sheila :-)
Your flowers are beautiful...thanks for sharing the photos.
Beautiful flowers - looks like you have a green thumb. And speaking of green - you have done a great thing in rescuing those dresden plates and your quilt is very charming. Love the watermelon quilt too - summer fun for sure.
I'll join in with another *I love hollyhocks*. I had no idea how they were once used. Wonderful history. Love daisies too ... such a happy flower! Lovely mosaics and blooms!
Oh, the hollyhocks are just gorgeous. I don't think I can grow them in our heat. Yours are lovely adn I am glad to see them.
Beautiful flowers, all of them! Very pretty mosaics!
Hollyhocks are hubbies favorite flower, so we always have some in the garden. But not to show the way to the facilities. Have never seen one so white. Lovely!
Love your hollyhocks - glad your deer spray worked!
Your hollyhock is so pretty. Our ancestors were pretty clever with some of the things they did. They composted long before we ever knew the word and what it meant.
My grandfather grew the most beautiful hollyhocks -- all colors. Thanks for sparking a beautiful memory. :)
Lovely hollyhocks.
Hollyhocks are so much fun! I love your little pansies too. ::Jill
Beautiful flowers!!
Pretty post! I love hollyhocks.
Hollyhocks are a sentimental favourite in my garden. I had a lovely white one like yours last year but I see that it did not reseed. Lovely plants.
The hollyhocks are gorgeous!
I didn't know about the tradition of planting hollyhocks close to the outhouse. When I was a little girl, my cousins and I would make hollyhock dolls from the flowers.
Pretty hollyhocks! I did not know that about long ago planting them near the area where ladies could tell where to go!
There is something so gorgeous about white flowers against a backdrop of green. Wow, your hollyhocks, daisies and pansies look so beautiful together. Did not know that about the hollyhocks, that was a fascinating tidbit of info! ~Lili
I also love hollyhocks. I don't know why I don't plant them. Nice photos.
Every time I've seen hollyhocks this year I've thought 'I need to plant those'. I think I'll knock on someone's door and ask for some seeds, as soon as they go to seed. If we have a mild winter, perhaps I'll have blooms next summer.
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