Hollyhock The Watchman is a beautiful very dark hollyhock variety. The flowers of this beautiful, pretty and magnificent plant are not really black, but rather very dark brown-red (chestnut brown) to almost black. The beautiful, single, cup-shaped large flowers open from bottom to top on the grey-green sturdy stems with grey-green leaves. This Hollyhock is also called Black Hollyhock. Hollyhock is a biennial plant from the mallow family (Malvaceae) just like: Baobab, Mallow, Linden, Okra, Belgian Flag, Marshmallow, Durian, American Cotton, Chinese Rose, Hibiscus, Three-Hour Flower, Beach Poplar, Cocoa Tree and Silver Lime. This family therefore consists of a large number of flowers and trees. Hollyhock is also called Marshmallow, Ball Rose and Farmer's Rose. Marshmallow is also another plant from the same family. Hollyhock originally comes from Turkey and Palestine and was brought to Europe in the 16th century. But now this biennial plant is also widely cultivated in Europe and more specifically in our country (the Netherlands). Not at least because of the many different beautiful colours in which this plant is available.
Hollyhock thrives in both urban and rural environments. There are many different colours and even a number of double-flowered varieties. Hollyhock needs poor clay soil, but dark colours also do very well in sandy soil. It does need a warm, not too humid location. Hollyhocks are often placed against a wall, fence or other property boundary facing south. This plant needs a lot of sun. Give extra water during droughts to prevent drying out and premature seed ripening. It is a plant that is a beautiful eye-catcher in any garden. Also very suitable for growing at the back of the border and against a wall. Hollyhock has a long taproot that makes it unsuitable for growing in pots and containers. Because Hollyhock is a biennial, the plant only forms leaves in the year after sowing and the plant flowers in the 2nd year. Hollyhock flowers from May to September. Regularly remove the faded flowers to enjoy hollyhock for longer. The flower petals of the hollyhock The Watchman are edible and can be used to brighten up a salad, for example. Plant this beautiful hollyhock species in a group for a beautiful and dramatic effect. This plant is very popular with bees, bumblebees, butterflies and other useful insects. Hollyhock can easily sow itself out. Non hardy biennial. Height: 180 - 200 cm.
Indoor sowing: March - May
Outdoor sowing: May - July
Germination: 14 - 21 days
Germination temp. : 18 - 20 °C
Sowing depth: 15 - 20 mm
Plant distance: 40 - 60 cm
Sowing in rows: 40 cm
Plant position: sunny - sheltered
Flowering period: May - September
Sow indoors for earlier flowering (from August to October) from March till May. Sow in trays filled with well-moistened seed compost. Sow shallowly and do not cover the seeds, but press them down gently. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop, especially at night. Cover the trays with a lid to keep the moisture in. Give the hollyhocks plenty of light, as they germinate in the light. Remove the lid as soon as the seedlings emerge. Transplant the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle. From the beginning of May, the seedlings can be hardened off for 7 till 10 days. Place them outside in the sun during the day. The young plants can then be placed outside in a sunny, sheltered spot with well-drained soil. Give the plants a sturdy support. They can also be placed against a fence or wall.
Sow outdoors from May till July, sowing can be done in the open ground on a seedbed. Sow superficially and press the seeds gently. Don't cover the seeds and keep the seeds moist and weed-free. Thin the seedlings to 40 - 60 cm as soon as they are large enough to handle. Place the plants in a sunny, sheltered spot from October to November, for example against a wall or fence. Hollyhocks are very attractive to bees, bumblebees, butterflies and other useful insects. Cut the plants back considerably after flowering. They can come back later. Hollyhock sows itself very easily. It is therefore very suitable for use in the natural garden, overgrown garden, butterfly and bee garden and in city gardens. Hollyhocks that are sown outdoors only flower in the year after sowing.
