Do I need to stratify my hollyhocks?

I harvested a bunch of seeds over the summer and am just now wondering if they need a cold period to germinate.

I have started hollyhocks from seed that had not been stratified without any problem. I either scatter the seed in late summer and then thin the seedlings, or I start seed inside in late winter and then set out the seedlings in early spring. They can handle a light frost once they get a little size on them - but I have put canning jars over them for a couple of weeks to allow them to start their root system.

If you want and sow the seed directly outside, you probably will not see any blooms this year. Nat

Here's a picture of some of mine from last year. I love the old fashioned hollyhocks.

Thanks Nat, no Im not going to start anymore myself this year, unless I get some really fancy ones to add. I just wanted to make sure so I could let some people know that I gave some to. I have mine along a fence and they looked beautiful this past summer. Funny thing is it did take the following year for them to bloom after I planted them but, I gave my sis some of the same seeds to start at the same time and she got many blooms the first year. Go figure, all that work to make something grow well and right and I still have to wait, while she just threw them around and got a heck of a lot more than I did.

I struggled with rust in my hollyhocks last year. So last August, I yanked them all up, replaced the topsoil and replanted new hollyhocks. I planted some Russian yellows and Antwerp - both of which are supposed to be true perennials and more rust resistant. Since I planted them last fall, they should bloom this year. I am anxious to see how they do this year.

I never liked hollyhocks much, but lately I'm coming to appreciate them. Thanks for the photo. They look wonderful.

This year Im taking pictures of my gardens, now I have someone to show them off to. The kids and DH dont really care about the gardens as much as me, wich is cool with me, that means its all mine mine mine mine. LOL
Nat those flowers came out beautiful, I was thinking about putting more along the fence line just to cover up more of the fence but Ive got alot of vines Im going to do this year and want to see what happens with those first.

Yes, it's great to have a place to share your flowers and get more than an occassional grunt in reply!

If I had it to do over, I would have put my hollyhocks in a different location. As it is, they are against the fence on either side of a large corner bed. Now I am trying to figure out how to put something in the corner bed that balances out the vertical height of the hollyhocks. I think I need either an arbor or a couple of large bamboo teepees.

Nathalyn--how about ornamental grass?

LimeyLisa Kay

Ornamental Grass is also a good suggestion - - but was hoping for height at the same time the hollyhocks are at peak (late May early June). Can you suggest any ornamental grasses that would already be tall by then?