Hollyhocks are a must if you are aiming for a cottage garden type look, but they can work for any garden. They come in several different colors: pink, purple, red, white, yellow and even black! They add vertical interest (getting over 6 feet tall), attract pollinators, and their vibrant flowers contribute to an aesthetically pleasing landscape. Additionally, hollyhocks are relatively low-maintenance and can thrive in different soil types.
Hollyhocks can be sown directly or started indoors and then transplanted. They are biennial, meaning they bloom their second season. You can plant hollyhocks in either spring or autumn. They are very cold hardy, so if you plant them in the fall, they’ll be blooming by the next summer. If you wait to plant them until spring, they will most likely not bloom until at least an entire year has passed.
Hollyhocks are usually short lived perennials in gardening zones 3-8, but if the stalks are cut down to the ground after the flowers fade, the plants can potentially live for several years. Hollyhocks also drop seeds and self-sow pretty easily, so by the time a plant dies off, there are plenty more to replace it.

When choosing a location in your garden, make sure you take into account the amount of shade potentially produced by one or several plants, as it could block sunlight for low growing crops if planted too close. You may also need to stake or plant next to a wall/fence if there are high winds in your area, but if not the tall stalks will bend over and still produce blooms just the same. 

Sunlight needs: 6+ hours of indirect sunlight per day. They prefer full sun, but can grow in partial shade. Too much shade and they will flop over.

Mature height: Depending on the variety, 3-9 feet tall. Most grow to 6 feet.

Spacing: 12-18 inches apart. Can be sown thick and then thinned as seedlings.

Sowing depth: 1/8 – 1/4 inch

Germination temp: 60°F – 70°F ideal soil temperature.

Requires light to germinate: Yes.

Stratification: Hollyhock seeds germinate faster after being cold stratified.