Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Black Hollyhocks


I love hollyhocks.  They are very old-fashioned, often planted to "pretty up" the fence around the chicken coop or hide the trash cans. 

 
 
My sister and I, and later my daughters, made hollyhock dolls and played with them in fairy villages in the grass.

 
 
These are called "black" hollyhocks and they are a hybrid with lots more ruffles than the old-fashioned ones.  I'll have lots more colors as the summer wears on.

Makes me wish I had some granddaughters to play with.  I know what my grandsons would do with hollyhock buds.  Perfect ammunition for throwing at each other!

17 comments:

  1. Wow, I have never seen holyhocks before . It definitely isn't grow in my country. It looks fantastic. The book is so intriguing I would like to buy it. It would be fun.

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  2. Cynthia, I have seen this book online it's great and I can use it on my English lesson in elementary level,. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. How fun for your students. Now maybe I should send you some hollyhock seeds!

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    2. It would be nice if you can send me seeds but in the fall when you will collect them. Thanks in advance.

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  3. Oh I've never seen black hollyhocks. How lovely.

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  4. The black hollyhocks are amazing! Your post reminded me of a line from a poem by Edgar Albert Guest: "But memory every summer flocks about a clump of hollyhocks." And the dolls . . . clever!

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  5. I had forgotten about Hollyhocks. That was one of my Mother's favorite flowers. Maybe next year I will try growing them. Yours are beautiful.

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  6. How striking! Thank you


    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^= <3

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  7. I have some very dark hollyhocks but nothing as black as these. They're wonderful.

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  8. Ooooh lovely. As I'm in a boring modern house now I've a black and white planting theme at the front and these would look stunning. I have black Petunias at the moment and I'm going to google on how to store there seeds as they are so expensive because they are black. £3 for 5 seeds!

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  9. Hollyhock dolls.I have never heard of them but I can see how much fun they must be of little girls.

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  10. You don't see them so often anymore here, only in the countrysides.

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  11. Hollyhocks remind me of a traditional English country garden where they would always have them amongst the border of flowers. Black is such an unusual colour though. I'm not sure I have seen any black ones.

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  12. They are certainly lovely and such a dark colour. Yes, boys will be boys :)

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  13. I don't think I've ever seen black hollyhocks, so thanks for sharing these pictures.

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  14. Your hollyhock doll is really cute! I love your hollyhocks what a great color:)

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