Q: My grandma used to grow beautiful hollyhocks. So, I would like to try them this year. Do you have any suggestions?

• Kate from Austintown

A: Yes, I do! I love the old-fashioned flowers. They are beautiful, enduring, and speak to the bygone days of summer gardens. When you grow them, you will enjoy the hum of pollinators and the fluttering of butterflies.

As a note, they are sometimes difficult to find in garden centers. So when I see one, that is the time to grab it.

Ordering them from online sites is an option. If you do that, be sure to do your homework on varieties and ensure you read details of the online website before making a purchase. Look at details on size of plants, shipping times and more.

Also, you can grow them from seed to get started. Seeds are generally easier to find. You can sow them directly in the garden.

Hollyhocks (Alcea rosa) are classed as biennials, with growth the first year and blooms the second. But they readily self-sow, so you can have continuous blooms throughout each and every summer after you get started.

This attractive plant comes in a wide array of white, yellow, pink, salmon, red and deep purple — almost black — along a tall spire that opens from the bottom up, growing up to 8 feet tall and 2 feet wide. They are hardy from Zones 2 to 10.

The large heart-shaped flowers are emerald green and hairy, rough to touch, and should not get wet, as they tend to get rust and downy mildew very easily. The flowers can be up to 4 to 5 inches in diameter facing outward from June until August.

They should be planted next to a foundation, house or barn as they can fall over. Many people stake them. I know I did, as mine reached past my downspouts of my house.

Hollyhocks should be grown in full sun, in moist, well-drained soil, and fertilized with 10-10-10 fertilized monthly in summer. To keep pathogens down, all plant debris must be cleaned up and disposed of each fall.

Japanese beetles love them, so buy a beetle bag and place it far away from your plants. There is a bit of work involved with this old-fashioned winner, but hollyhocks are so worth it.

For more details and photos, go to http://go.osu.edu/hollyhock.

Hughes is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Mahoning County. The Plant and Pest Clinic is open 9 a.m. to noon Mondays and Thursdays for help with plant issues, soil testing and insect identification. See details at go.osu.edu/mahoningclinic.