Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Hollyhock love.

Hello...
Do you have a special memory from childhood?
 One of my memories is standing behind the barn, and looking up at these very tall, beautiful flowers.


My mother hated them! She called them nasty weeds!
 How could anything so pretty be considered a weed???!!!!

 I was especially drawn to the light pink ones.

 At our own farm, I was determined to grow these gorgeous so-called weeds.


For almost twenty years, I've had Hollyhocks in my gardens.
 When we moved to the lakehouse, I brought as many seeds as I could with me.

 The Hollyhocks are very popular here. Every fall, the ladies in the neighborhood come over to collect the seeds for their own gardens.

 One neighbor actually did a water color of  my cottage garden with all the Hollyhocks. It is hanging in her living room.

 Some years, I get more flowers than other years.  It doesn't matter...I'm just happy to see these beauties every summer, grace the gardens here at the lakehouse.

 My granddaughter, Maddie, and I make Hollyhock dolls when she stays with us.


 Miss Holly is lovely, don't you think? Especially carrying her lacy parasol.

Do you have a special flower that brings you joy year after year?
I LOVE almost every flower...but am partial to my Hollyhocks.
xxxooo

13 comments:

  1. My mom had hollyhocks behind the garage and one of my favorite pictures of her and my Granmother is about 1935 in front of the hollyhocks..I have it hanging above the mantle in the cottage shed.

    My cousin was talking this weekend about making dolls out of rose of sharon...yours are too cute and something your grandaughter will never forget!

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  2. Snapdragons...make me giggle.
    I love hollyhocks. Yours are so special. Love Holly.
    And look at you blogging away- thought you didn't have time...LOL
    Hugs- Tete

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  3. Oh-I love hollyhocks too. Your hollyhock dolls put the ones we used to make to shame. My Auntie always made them with me and she always pulled some grapevine for the arms...but yours are gorgeous. I have to do that with the kids yet this summer! Lovely post~ xo Diana

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  4. I love hollyhocks too. Mine are just starting to bloom. Everyone always remarks how pretty they are. I've given away seeds too! Gotta spread that beauty around.

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  5. Ahhhh.....sweet memories, sis! My mother used to stop and pick some hollyhock flowers for me as we left the YWCA after my terrifying swim classes that I hated with my whole entire being and am still in therapy for to this day and still hate swimming.....Anywho.....we used to take them home and make dolls out of them. I thought they were always so beautiful. ♥ Thanks for the wonderful memories today, sweetie! Did I tell you that I'll need more seeds from you this year when you harvest them? :) Mine didn't come up here for some crazy reason. Thank you thank you!!! :( Hope you're keeping cool!! Love and hugs!

    xoxo laurie

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  6. I love hollyhocks...had them at our last home, but never put out any here. All my relatives in Tenn. have the prettiest hollyhocks...I'm thinking I need to have some for next year.
    The hollyhock doll is so pretty and adorable!!
    hugs,
    Cindy

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  7. I love hollyhocks too! Got a few of them that grow next to the barn and then they seem to spread and come up other places too! Love the dolls!

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  8. I love hollyhocks but don't have luck growing them. Occasionally I'll buy one or two in the spring but expect them to grow as annuals. Yours are beautiful, love the pink ones:@)

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  9. Hi Debbie!
    Your hollyhocks are beautiful and against that white fence..oooh-la-la!
    Ive adored them for a long time, but have mostly seen them when I was younger and when we travel south...I love their look and height. They speak "cottage-style" to me and I love them!
    Love your little dolls..how sweet they are!!
    Have a happy summers day Deb!!!!

    Deborah xoxoxoxo

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  10. Oh, you're making me remember all my hollyhock days...Dad grew them behind the barn (?) and we'd go out there and pick the blossoms to make into hollyhock dolls :)

    Later when I owned a 1920s Four-square Iowa Gothic house, I grew hollyhocks beside the house...it wasn't easy, though...I had to work very hard at it to make it finally happen.

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  11. Sweet memories Deb, an old lady lived next to us when I was little and her whole back yard seemed to be full of them, mom must not have liked them because she never grew them and she had such a green thumb! My flower memory is of her mom's Morning Glories,,,blue ones! I used to snap them all the time:)

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  12. They are so beautiful Debbie and I adore Miss Holly! The little umbrella that she is holding is what holds many memories for me. :) My grandpa and I used to go for walks and pick them and he told me that they were umbrella flowers and we would 'shade' ourselves from the sun. :)
    Thank you for the wonderful memories.
    Stay cool my dear, it is another HOT one!!
    xoxo

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  13. Oh Debbie those little dolls are so cute!!
    I also enjoyed your garden stroll in your last post too!

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