Hollyhocks


Hollyhocks
~Edgar Guest

Old-fashioned flowers! I love them all:
The morning-glories on the wall,
The pansies in their patch of shade,
The violets, stolen from a glade,
The bleeding hearts and columbine,
Have long been garden friends of mine;
But memory every summer flocks
About a clump of hollyhocks.

The mother loved them years ago;
Beside the fence they used to grow,
And though the garden changed each year
And certain blooms would disappear
To give their places in the ground
To something new that mother found,
Some pretty bloom or rosebush rare–
The hollyhocks were always there.

It seems but yesterday to me
She led me down the yard to see
The first tall spires, with bloom aflame,
And taught me to pronounce their name.
And year by year I watched them grow,
The first flowers I had come to know.
And with the mother dear I’d yearn
To see the hollyhocks return.


The garden of my boyhood days
With hollyhocks was kept ablaze;
In all my recollections they
In friendly columns nod and sway;
And when to-day their blooms I see,
Always the mother smiles at me;
The mind’s bright chambers, life unlocks
Each summer with the hollyhocks.



Love and end of summer blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

Book News: Ode Magazine will be publishing an excerpt from Plant Whatever Brings You Joy: Blessed Wisdom from the Garden in an upcoming issue in both their English and Dutch issues. Western North Carolina Woman will be publishing three excerpts from the book in upcoming issues.

6 Responses to “Hollyhocks”

  1. Gorgeous, mom! The words and pictures are a wonderful compliment to each other. Amazing how hollyhocks are both delicate and hardy. I Love the little bees in there, as well! What a Lovely beauty break! Thanks for sharing!

    Love you,
    Antonia
    xoxo

  2. Good morning, Antonia! That’s a great observation, that hollyhocks are both delicate and very hardy. So true. Great metaphor in that one! Love, Mom xoox

  3. So great to celebrate the hollyhocks. I can never get them started here. They are biannuals and while I can get them to grow the 1st year, they never make it though the winters. so frustrating because if I had the perfect south-facing location against a wall, I know that they would be wonderful. Thanks for celebrating them.
    Hugs, Julie

  4. Beautiful!!!

  5. Hi, Julie! Oh, phooey! So sorry you can’t get them to grow in your lovely garden. Mine are all volunteers. I never planted any of them. I never know where they will sprout or what colors will emerge. They are from someone else’s garden planted many years ago here on this property. Love that. “Honor the seed planted by another hand.” ~Kathryn Hall 🙂 Hugs! K. xoxo

  6. Good morning, Veronica! Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the collection! Kathryn xoxo

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