Hollyhock Summer Carnival

The hollyhock for those who cannot wait. Summer Carnival has been bred to flower in its very first summer from an early sowing — and it does so spectacularly, producing tall, sturdy spikes up to 1.5m covered in fully double, ruffled flowers that look like giant peonies in a carnival of powder-puff pink, bright scarlet, sunny yellow, and pure white.

The quickest way to add height, drama, and colour to the back of a border — without waiting a year for the reward.

• Alcea rosea 'Summer Carnival' — Hardy Biennial (can flower Year 1 from early sowing)
• Height: up to 1.5m | Flowers: June–September
• Sow indoors February–March for first-year flowers; or May–July for Year 2
• Full sun; well-drained soil
• Self-seeds reliably once established

Sow early under cover in February and you will have towering double blooms by midsummer. Few annuals or biennials offer that kind of return.