The Last Time For The Holly Hock Story?

It is that time of year again. The annual re-visit to the hollyhock saga. In a nutshell for those of you who have no clue to what I'm talking about: Several years ago I got a letter from the city that the weeds in my backyard along the alley were too high and I needed to cut them or get fined. Here was the issue. Except for a few low growing ferns, mosses, etc., the only thing growing back there were some rogue, yet to bloom, hollyhocks that were towering 6-8' high. Livid with the notice, I berated some poor soul at city hall and was told if they weren't weeds, I had nothing to worry about. My response was if the same inspector who is obviously botanically challenged does the re-inspection, I, in fact, DO have something to worry about. I let them grow and I received no fine (kind of surprised).

The next year, the ages old retaining wall in my back yard started to crumble. I had a new one built and assumed all plant life was destroyed. At the base of the retaining wall (which is set back further from the alley than the previous, crumbling one), I decided to re-landscape with some lower growing ferns, trees and shrubs. As I liked the hollyhocks, I bought a new one. In fact, one of the rarest colors: black (which is more a very dark purple). I planted it at the edge of said landscaping. As the summer approached, the holly hocks grew. To my horror, I came home one day and someone had WEEDWACKED the entire alley and took out the hollyhocks. I'm assuming it was the city or CILCO as my overly industrious retired parents, who would, in fact, weedwack an entire alley to make the whole thing look better, wouldn't have weedwacked hollyhocks. My neighbors, well, if you looked at their properties going up to the alley, you would recognize they weren't responsible. "Weedwacko" didn't touch the ferns, trees or shrubs. Two years ago, I put a sign out pointing out that hollyhocks AREN'T weeds. Last year, I lucked out and actually had some grow to over 9' tall towering over the retaining wall. This spring, I put up a fence and they are starting to bloom but no Yao Mings of hollyhocks this year. But guess what? LO & f-in behold, someone came through, weedwacked the alley, cut off some overgrown trees and left the hollyhocks alone!! FINALLY, those responsible for this weedwacking extravaganza have hired someone who is not botanically challenged (that or they were just lazy not to reach over the fence). I think I've got the cure for the hollyhock blues (and you know what tune to sing that to).






And if that isn't enough to celebrate (I'm soo breaking out the Perrier Jouet) after years of dealing with an evil plant devouring groundhog, I evicted its arse from under the shed. Where it has gone??? Who cares. He used by rock garden flowers for a buffet. So this year I finally can see my Raspberry plant (called beesbaum by my knowsallthingsflowering mother) bloom.





Kick-ass sundail available from Peoria's own Rome Industries at fine garden centers everywhere.