Malva sylvestris ssp. mauritiana
Another cottage garden favourite. We're talking a lavish flowering time (it blooms for weeks), a wonderful color (a sort of deep pink-purple), and it's undemanding too.
This low-maintenance plant enhances any garden and provides insects with a fantastic source of nutrients.
You can use mallow flowers to make tea and they're also pretty as cut flowers.
Height: Approx. 150cm (59")
Hardiness: No, usually an annual plant (mine sometimes survive the winter).
Where: They prefer full sun, but partial shade will do.
When: April to May outdoors
Spacing: 50cm (20")
Harvesting/Flowering: July to October
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
