The Pinkest Mistake

I'm feeling kinda lucky: I have religiously tried to plant hollyhocks from seed for the last 5 years and failed miserably EVERY . SINGLE . TIME !!!  For the record, this year I didn't plant hollyhocks but look at this intensely fuchsia colored double lovely that has blossomed in my garden.  Time to celebrate and proclaim victory over the hollyhock, mission accomplished!  I have conquered the hollyhock.

Okay, I exaggerate, not actually conquered, just succeeded for once.  And wow, what a payoff, my flowers make me look like a totally awesome gardener instead of the experimenting, know nothing, mistake making novice that I am.

So what did I do differently you ask?

It was last year's mistake that netted me a big win this year: I planted the seeds in July (of 2009 for a June 2010 bloom) instead of say February of this year or whenever I'm supposed to plant them.  They germinated and sprouted a few leaves late last summer, got no higher than six inches and were then promptly covered by snow, freezing rain and two blizzards.  Oh yeah, it was one of those crazy winters here in Northern Virginia.

My hopes for success?  Dashed.

So when they poked their spindly heads up again this year, shot to six feet tall and popped with spires of color I was simply amazed.  More than amazed actually, I felt like I'd just been through the hollyhock right of passage.

Happy to say that apparently the theory "better late than never" sometimes applies to plants.  Hmmmm, maybe I will say I conquered them (by accident)!