Seventeen years ago, I ordered heirloom hollyhocks from Burpee – three red and three yellow. Once the first summer passed, they bloomed faithfully every year. Being an heirloom variety, they reseeded themselves as well. But after the first five years, they didn’t stay the same: along with the red and yellow flowers, cross-pollination created blossoms of varying colors. About five years back, the original red and yellow didn’t return. Reseeding also caused a migration: plants grow halfway up the walkway rather than at the end, and a few have come up in my neighbor’s flower beds.
There’s something wonderful about a world that fosters change and growth in unexpected ways. I haven’t had a hand in the hollyhocks that grace my front walk in any meaningful way – a little weeding, watering, and feeding is all I’ve done. But these plants have been transformed through their own innate capacity. How wonderful is that!
There’s a generosity to nature that’s hard to deny when $19.95 spent seventeen years ago yields such beauty. Constantly growing and changing, constant in reappearance. But if I didn’t know where it all began, I doubt I’d appreciate this ever-transforming botanical miracle…
There s a generosity in nature that I have seen for many years . When Jim and I were living on Frank Cutler Dr in Wareham our neighbors “ the Wilbers” gave us some flowers for our garden. We took them to our next house on DinahsWay and eventually they ended up on Pine needle Lane in Plymouth.
Every spring ,when they come up I think of the lovely couple that gave them to us, Even though I still don’t know the name of the flower.
What a wonderful gift! Thanks for sharing, Anita! peace, Johnna
Beautiful.