Hollyhocks

[Frederick]

The Vendee houses at this time of the year have great displays of Hollyhocks .they seem to come up everywhere  huge flowering muli coloured  plants lots from cracks in pavements ..... I have scattered seeds  hundreds of them along the back of the flower beds...good well composted soil and  against a white painted wall in full sun just as I expected  they would like it ....3 came up ...and one the leaves went brown and fell off leaving a flowering stick ! ......other stuff grows like hell ...you cant win sometimes !

[PeterCD]

They do not like good/well prepared soil at all.........that's why they grow out of cracks, etc.

In our area they seem to prefer gravel, low quality soil and no water.

[odile]

moving soon to the Jura mountains, alt. 950m - and wondered what would grow well there. Just returned, and so happy to see that roses and 'roses tremieres' really thrive in the harsh conditions and poor soil. So good luck- can;t wait to sow mine - but will beg local seeds from neighbours to make sure they are used to the climate.

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

I agree about the poor soil bit. I used to have a couple growing at the foot of a privet hedge.

[Cendrillon]

Ours grow in cracks in the concrete and survive the heat of the sun with very little water. Scatter the seeds anywhere they are bi-annual, you can also just cut off the finished stalk with seeds and lay that on the ground.