Greetings, aspiring gardener. I am the spirit of the hollyhock, a towering beacon of the cottage garden. You wish to cultivate my kind from seed? A noble pursuit. To succeed, you must understand our needs from our perspective. We are not fragile, but we are particular. Listen, and we shall thrive together.
Our life cycle is a patient one. Many of my seeds possess a natural dormancy, a built-in memory of the cold winter we must endure before sprouting. You can mimic this by placing my seeds in a damp paper towel inside a sealed bag in your refrigeration for 3-4 weeks. This cold stratification coaxes us from our slumber. However, if you sow us directly in your garden in the late fall or very early spring, the natural chill of the earth will perform this ritual for you. We do not mind either method, so long as the cold period is respected.
We demand a throne of well-drained earth. Our taproots delve deep, and they will rot if left in soggy, waterlogged conditions. Prepare a bed that is loose, fertile, and allows water to pass through freely. A modest amount of compost mixed into the soil is a welcome feast for our roots. As for the sun, we are solar divas. We require a minimum of six hours of direct, glorious sunlight each day to fuel our growth and produce our magnificent flower spires. Do not relegate us to the shade; we will become leggy and frail, our blooms few and far between.
When the soil is workable and light frosts are still possible, it is time. We seeds are not timid. We need light to germinate, so merely press us gently onto the soil surface or cover us with the merest dusting of fine soil—no more than 1/4 inch deep. Space us about 18 to 24 inches apart. This may seem generous now, but remember we grow into stately plants that require ample air circulation to discourage the pesky rust fungus that sometimes plagues us. Keep the soil consistently moist, like a well-wrung sponge, and we will reward you with green shoots in 10-14 days.
Do not be alarmed if we do not flower in our first year. Many of us are biennials, meaning we dedicate our first season to building a strong, leafy rosette low to the ground. We are gathering energy, establishing our deep root system, and preparing for a spectacular display in our second summer. During this time, water us at the base to keep our leaves dry, and provide a stake or support for our flower stalks once they begin their rapid ascent in the second year. After we bloom and set seed, we may perish, but we often self-sow generously, ensuring our legacy continues in your garden for years to come.
