Hollyhock, Alcea rosea

Hollyhock

Botanical Name: Alcea rosea 

The ultimate cottage garden choice, hollyhock sends up tall spires that cover themselves in flowers in beautiful colors. They're easy to grow from seed -- in fact, that's usually the only way they are found in garden centers.
Hollyhocks are natives of Asia. They have heart shaped leaves and bloom from February to April.Tall Hollyhock flowers make great backgrounds, borders and even fences. 

Interestingly, the flowers open from the bottom to the top of the spike throughout the spring. These tall (up to 8 feet) beauties are ideal against fences or buildings where they can get natural support. Red forms are especially attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies.

Growing Hollyhocks

Light:                           Sun

Type:                           Annual

Height:                         1 to 10 feet

Width:                          1 - 3 feet wide

Flower Color:              Pink, Red, Maroon, Deep Red, White

Seasonal Features:     Winter Bloom, Spring Bloom

Problem Solvers:        Drought Tolerant, Groundcover

Propagation:                Seed

Special Features:        Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance  

A group of well grown Hollyhocks in bloom is worth going to see. It is really the color that we look for, because the leaves are large, coarse and grow mostly in clumps at the base of the plant. The long spikes of flowers grow from. 5 feet to 8 feet high and there are usually from five to nine blossoms in bloom on each well grown stalk. The average size is about 2 inches or 3 inches across, but 5-inch blooms can be had if good attention is given.

Hope you enjoy the beauty!! 

Happy Gardening and Always Live your Passion!!


Shared with ABC Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Today's flower, Floral Flower Fotos, Ruby Tuesday Too, and Outdoor Wednesday. 

Summer Sizzler - 7. Hibiscus, Chinese Rose, Chinese Hibiscus, Hawaiian Hibiscus (Hindi Name – Gurhal)

Here is the seventh one of Great Summer Sizzlers series which I have started last year. Plant it and be cool all summer along with lovely and colorful flowers.

Hibiscus (Hindi Name – Gurhal) 

Common Name - Chinese Rose, Chinese Hibiscus, Hawaiian Hibiscus

Botanical name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

 Hibiscus flowers might be the most dramatic in the garden and can bloom as large as a child's head in gorgeous colors. The hibiscus plant itself is large and dramatic, and it needs plenty of space to show off. Although the huge funnel-shape flowers seldom last more than a day, they are abundant and the plant blooms over several weeks. The large leaves tend to draw Japanese beetles. Hibiscus needs plenty of water, so grow it in rich, loose, well-drained soil where you can water it easily and regularly during dry spells.

 Growing Hibiscus

Light:                               Sun

Type:                               Perennial

Height:                            From 3 to 20 feet

Width:                              3-5 feet wide

Flower Color:                  Red, Pink, Yellow, Orange and White

Seasonal Features:       Summer Bloom

Special Features:          Attracts Birds, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance 

The word hibiscus derived from the ancient Greek hibiskos, the name for the plant known as marsh mallow or white mallow. Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing more than 200 species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. By recent count about 220 species of annuals, perennials, herbs, shrubs and trees belong to the genus Hibiscus. This is a genus of great diversity. Some hibiscuses originated in tropical regions of the world, other in temperate regions. Some are herbaceous, others woody. In habit they range from low-growing, spreading, types to upright, woody forms that reach up to six meter tall.

 The flowers of most species open early in the morning and begin to droop and wilt by late afternoon. Most last only one day, but a few varieties have flowers that last two days or more. While most hibiscus flowers are odorless, a few are modestly fragrant. The hibiscus flower can be found in many colors and sizes, which will determine the specific type of flower. According to research information there are more than a thousand color options, but no blue or black in the true sense. The sizes will vary from 2 inch blooms to 12 inch bloom

It is a beautiful plant. But apart from being beautiful, a hibiscus plant and flower is immensely useful too. 

Hope you enjoy the beauty!!

Happy Gardening and Always Live your Passion!! 

Shared with ABC Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Today's flower, Floral Flower Fotos, Ruby Tuesday Too, Outdoor Wednesday and Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.