Hollyhock Flowers

Botanical Name: Alcea rosea
Common Names: Garden Hollyhock, Double Flowered, Gul Hero, Gulhatmi
Cultivation: Full sun in fertile, well drained soil
Colors: Pink, Red, Yellow, White
Bloom Time: May and June
Uses: Decorative and medicinal uses
Regions: Indian Ocean Islands, North America, New Zealand, Montiano

Cultivation of Hollyhock
The requisites for the production of a fine bloom of hollyhocks are a deep, rich, moist soil with perfect drainage. Good drainage prevents injury by winter damp. They also require full exposure to air and light. In places much overshadowed by trees or where much hemmed in by walls and fences, hollyhocks do not prosper. They love sunshine and fresh air.

Drying of Hollyhocks
Hollyhocks are harvested when they are open and dried by using a dessicant. Use a cardboard box and cover the bottom with dessicant. Place the flowers on the layer of dessicamt and work the dessicant carefully in among the petals until they are fully covered and only the stem shows. Seal the lid on the box and place in a warm, dry place with extreme care and brush out any surplus dessicant with a soft paint brush.

For quick drying use a container instead of a cardboard box.. Place the dessicant on the bottom of the container and put flowers on top of the dessicant layer. Cover the flowers with dessicant and place in a microwave. Leave the door open and keep checking the color of the flower.

Uses of Hollyhocks
Dried hollyhocks are used in a plethora of dried arrangements and potpourri blend. They have a myriad of medicinal uses. They are used for several ailments. Dried flower tea helps soothe oral inflammations. From dried hollyhocks some essential oils are also extracted.

Dried hollyhock also has some magical uses. Dried pods bursting with seed is taken as a token of a filled purse. They are used as a symbol or a source to increase success in the material world, to increase the flow of money, or to acquire new possessions. Fairies love hollyhock and so dried flowers are mixed in the incense mixture that is burnt to attract fairies.