This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Wednesday, 2 November 2011

Malope - an annual to try?

Malope - what a name for a plant! As there's been no frost (yet), my annuals are still flowering and the Malope are going strong.

This is the first time I've grown Malope and it has its pros and cons...

CON - They seemed to start off growing slow compared to other annuals grown from seed.                                                          

PRO - They give good height, up to 36 inches.
PRO - They make nice bushy plants (once they get going) and look well mixed with roses and most other bedding plants.
PRO - They have lovely flowers, and many flowers.
CON - The flowers seem to droop - I want them to stand at attention!




















CON / PRO - It was only in Sept that the plants seemed to be at their best, bushy and full of flowers. (Suppose the weather etc has a part to play).
I ended up with more pink than white flowers. The white are lovely too.

Variety: Malope Excelsior Mixed, Hardy Annual, Carters Tested Seeds, 200 seeds, 79p. Sown 8 May 2011 indoor (high germination). June/July planted outside.

Verdict - I'll grow again next year!
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13 comments:

  1. Mark Willis2 November 2011 at 13:41

    This is not one that I know, but yours look very showy. Is it a bit like Mallow?

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  2. Egretta Wells blog2 November 2011 at 13:49

    I think they are gorgeous! Your cat thinks so, too! They are pretty standing "at attention" or drooped over, as well. I have not seen them here....will have to research.

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  3. Hazel2 November 2011 at 14:41

    Funny name for a beautiful flower. I agree with Egretta, I like them drooped over as well as standing.

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  4. The Musical Gardener2 November 2011 at 15:09

    Most impressive. I think I grew a version of this many years ago, although I think mine were more purply coloured. As I recall, you probably should remove your plants, I think they self seed fairly readily - your may be more hybridized, but not sure I would risk it.

    Looks like they might be a good replacement for four o'clocks (same colour,same height, but perhaps open during the day)

    Must try a few next year.

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  5. Malar2 November 2011 at 20:50

    That's pretty bloom! It look a bit similar to Rosella!

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  6. Kelli3 November 2011 at 02:10

    Mark, you are right. Apparently (via internet search) the more common names for these plants include: Mallowwort, Annual Malope, Purple Spanish Mallow, and Maloppi. (not much better names huh!)

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  7. Jo3 November 2011 at 05:17

    They're pretty, especially the white ones.

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  8. Sue Garrett3 November 2011 at 09:25

    We've grown these in the past and I'm sure the weather is what caused the delay in flowering - even our cosmos haven't produced very well this year.

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  9. Malay-Kadazan girl3 November 2011 at 20:34

    Your gardener helper look so adorable beside this pretty flowers! I will like to try growing this flower someday.

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  10. cathy@home4 November 2011 at 03:59

    Mallow grows wild here the pink ones that is about May time irealy like the white ones so pretty and your garden helper is cute.
    I remembered I wrote http://cathyisathome.blogspot.com/2011/04/yesterday-i-felt-little-silly-today.html

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  11. Linda4 November 2011 at 09:25

    Strange name indeed. It sounds a bit like the name of a character in a novel by Mrs Gaskill.

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  12. HolleyGarden4 November 2011 at 13:14

    It is very pretty, and you are right - a lovely companion plant. Both the pink and the white are gorgeous!

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  13. littlekarstar4 November 2011 at 23:36

    It is a beautiful bloom. Your garden has yielded so much this year. Have you pulled out and tried your celeriac yet?

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