Dawson's rock work

I said in my post last night I'd take a picture of the finished rock wall defining my east flower bed. And while walking around this morning looking at everything, I took a picture of my first hollyhock to bloom this year - I plant the heirloom black hollyhocks and save the seeds for future plantings.

I bought a new garden book I really like. It has a lot of practical upkeep gardening tips. She says to cut back hollyhocks right after all the flowers are done blooming and the plant will grow new side stocks to flower again in the season. I know this to be true, but hadn't thought of it as something for me to do each year with all my hollyhocks. I'm remembering how the plants do make new flower stocks after the elk have eaten the tops! (Loving my electric fence ;^) )

Think about it ... If the life cycle of a plant is to continue, then the final goal is to create seeds for new growth. So if the one time typical flowers get destroyed, then the plant is going to hurry to produce new flowers to go to seed. I learned this too with vegetables. We had a root cellar for years. The reason a lot of produce will keep well in a cold storage is because for most of them, they are created to spend the following year's growing season to produce seed.

Hmmm ... could a spiritual analogy be made from this? I love learning things!