Alcea rosea ‘Chaters Double Mix’

Chater’s Double is the classic cottage-garden hollyhock strain, with fully double, ruffled blooms that look more like peonies than the usual single hollyhocks. The mix gives you rose, white, maroon, violet, yellow and salmon-pink on the same planting.

Tall and proper, reaching 1.5 to 2 metres on strong stems. Flowers from early to mid-summer, each bloom up to 10cm across.

Plant in full sun in any reasonable, well-drained soil. Best against a warm wall, in a cottage-garden border, or at the back of a mixed planting where the height earns its keep. Keep an eye out for rust on the leaves, and remove affected ones promptly.