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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

......they propagate by seed don't they? (Click to see sharper version)

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Easy to grow from seed Hugh and hollyhocks are very generous in the number of seeds they produce. However, they are terribly promiscuous so what you eventually get may not look like the parent plant.

You mean I could end up bringing a slutty plant into my garden? Que la pensee perisse! 

(My uncorrected version of the first sentence in this post said "You mean I could end up being a slutty plant into my garden?" Lexical leakage? Thankfully I spotted the typo in the latest activity panel on the front page after just 20 minutes!)

I've had no luck with hollyhocks, either grown from seed or bought as small plants (or given by friends). I've concluded they are the sort of plant that if you don't already have them, you're out of luck - they seem to like certain places more than others.

Poor, well drained soil and full sun usually does the trick. Can be a problem with rust though.
That's my experience too. Liz and I emptied what seemed like buckets of seeds in Fairlands and nothing took at all. But good luck Hugh!
Give them a 24 hour soak in water before you plant them out.

I think it's the slugs that get them. I have been trying to grow hollyhocks in my garden for years. Then last Summer and this Summer I have had a war against the slugs (and more or less won for now) and now I have about 10 hollyhocks growing really nicely. However, saying that I do only have 10 growing and I have scattered about 1000000 seeds in the garden!

Hugh,

The shot is excellent and I encourage you to enter for photography competition and I did not know anything about plants. Well done for the beautiful photo.

Rev Ige

Too kind; really it's just a snap with a good camera. I hope you recognise where the shot was taken.

If you like photos, I have some hanging in Blend by the bus stop near your place of work. Last five days - they're coming down on Wednesday.

Yes, I know

;o)

Whatever you're growing that is loved by slugs and snails paint a bit of Vaseline around the stalks at the bottom and remember that slugs aren't all huge slimy things. I found 8 teeny ones in my strawberry patch on one fruit. The Vaseline thing works on pots and containers and you only have to keep pots on feet. bricks or anything else  you can find makes it harder for them to find the container.  I found pot holders on wheels made of metal mesh which really flummoxes them. Even seedlings will be safe in a tray raised up off the ground.  The Vaseline was also from the 99p shop for a large tub. I keep it and the brush I use tucked away by the door and touch up any area's I've missed. Mine have been up and running for at least a couple of years and have made a huge difference to what gets munched. I also use it around the stalks of fruiting plants rather than the expensive bands which don't seem to be much more than I'm using. 

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