Patience, patience: hollyhock!

There is something immensely satisfying about growing hollyhocks from seed. The first year, they are just small, round-leaved plants that snails and slugs love to turn into lacy doilies. The second year, they stretch to the sky and flower with childhood memories of grandparent's gardens.

This year, last year's first white hollyhocks are flowering tall behind the tomatoes. I've planted a bank of crimson ones for next year, but I suspect the cat and her local cronies have put paid to some of those. Also a multicoloured packet of seeds... and now I can't remember exactly which babies are where!

And then this year's flowering hollyhocks will provide seed for next year's juveniles.

There are lots of seeds in a packet of hollyhocks. Plant them all, you'll be sure to lose some to the legless things, cats, etc., but the ones that survive will be magnificent.