Malva alcea (organic), open pollinated
Wild Flower.
Gorgeous pink flowers blossom abundantly and make for very happy insects. Bees, bumblebees and butterflies love them.
Totally undemanding and easy to cultivate. Full disclosure, I find it really difficult to decide between the "Hollyhock Mallow", the "Mauritanian Malva", the "Mallow White Musk" and the "Common Mallow". Maybe all four of them? I'm going to need a bigger garden...
It's not a plant with a very long life span but its staying power comes through self-seeding. If you don't want them to spread, cut off the seed heads.
Flowers, seeds and leaves are edible and look beautiful in a vase.
Height: 120cm (47")
Hardiness: Yes
Where: Full sun to partial shade
When: March/April inside, end of March to July outside. Keep soil moist in the beginning. Pre-growing in pots is recommended.
Spacing: 50cm (20")
Harvesting/Flowering: June to September
A paradise for insects
By the way: these seeds are packaged in grass paper
Grass paper is an environmentally-friendly and sustainable form of packaging. It is made from grass, a rapidly regenerating raw material, which can be processed without using chemicals, which means significantly less water and energy are required to produce it.
Photos: Janina Laszlo
