Hollyhocks

Bloom time: Summer to early autumn.

Hollyhocks produce tall spires of flared, sometimes double, flowers in a wide range of pastel colours to deep mahogany red. They can grow astonishingly quickly, and may exceed 10-15 feet tall if grown in the right conditions in a sheltered garden. Few other flowers look so lovely grown en masse. Expect some rust to form on Hollyhock leaves in coastal gardens around the middle of summer. If this occurs, just make sure to keep spent leaves out of the compost.