Malva alcea (organic)
Native wildflower.
Gorgeous pink flowers blossom abundantly and make for very happy insects. Bees, bumblebees and butterflies love them.
Totally undemanding and easy to cultivate. Full disclosure, I find it really difficult to decide between the "Hollyhock Mallow", the "Mauritanian Malva", the "Mallow White Musk" and the "Common Mallow". Maybe all four of them? I'm going to need a bigger garden...
It's not a plant with a very long life span but its staying power comes through self-seeding. If you don't want them to spread, cut off the seed heads.
Flowers, seeds and leaves are edible and look beautiful in a vase.
Height: 120cm (47")
Hardiness: Yes
Where: Full sun to partial shade
When: March/April inside, end of March to July outside. Keep soil moist in the beginning. Pre-growing in pots is recommended.
Spacing: 50cm (20")
Harvesting/Flowering: June to September
A paradise for insects
A little side note: 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