Alcea 'Hollyhock' Mix

• Hollyhocks are generous self-seeders. If you leave a few spent seed heads on the plant, you'll often find new seedlings popping up the following spring.

On Arrival:

• Unpack the bare root plants immediately and give them a quick soak in a bucket of clean, cool water for a couple of hours. This rehydrates the roots after their journey.
• If you can't plant straight away, keep the roots lightly wrapped in damp newspaper or compost in a cool, frost-free place for a few days.

Planting:

• Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Hollyhocks grow tall, so place them at the back of a border or against a wall or fence for support.
• Enrich the soil with garden compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
• Dig a hole wide enough to spread out the roots, then position the crown (where the stems meet the roots) just at soil level. Firm in gently and water well.
• Allow around 45cm between plants to give them space to grow.

Aftercare:

• Water thoroughly after planting and keep the soil evenly moist while the plants establish.
• Once established, hollyhocks are fairly drought tolerant, but during dry spells give them a deep soak once a week.
• Remove faded flowers to encourage the plant to keep producing new buds further up the stem.
• At the end of the season, cut back the spent stems to the base once they have finished flowering.
• Mulch around the crown with compost in autumn to protect the roots over winter and improve soil for next year’s growth.

Please allow us 3-5 working days to dispatch your order. Pre-ordered items will be sent as soon as possible after the date quoted and we'll generally ship your entire order with your pre-ordered items. When your order is dispatched, we'll send you another email with details of how to track it.

Most orders are sent on a fully-tracked courier service with Yodel. To avoid perishable items being stuck at depots and deteriorating, no signature is required, and our courier is asked to leave your order in a safe place on your property.

We'll send a tracking link when we dispatch your order, so you know when its due to arrive. Please note, once delivered we cannot be held responsible for loss or theft from your property. If you have any specific delivery instructions, please let us know - there's an option to enter a short message for the courier at the checkout.

Smaller, lighter, single-item orders may be sent through the post with Royal Mail - in which case no tracking is available.

Our experienced nursery team will always send your plants nursery fresh in the perfect condition to thrive when you plant them, so although most plants are very tough and will not be affected by all but the most extreme frosts or heatwaves, we avoid dispatching the most perishable plants if extreme weather is forecast, or over Bank Holiday weekends.

Please note, we cannot guarantee delivery on a certain day or time. Delivery to outlying postcode areas may take 1-2 days longer, dependent on your location.