Article: Hollyhocks come in a seemingly endless assortment of shades of white, yellow, pink, maroon and red flowers, which grow on 6 to 9 foot (1.8 to 2.7 m) stalks.  Hollyhocks will reseed themselves for subsequent growing years. You can also harvest seeds from plants in the fall. Some hollyhock varieties will generally grow a bit shorter or taller, so consider your space needs and height preferences as well. If you live in an area with cold winters, consider starting hollyhock seeds indoors in the fall. Germinate the seeds in October or November and allow them to grow for a while and experience a winter. This may trick the flowers into blooming the following spring.  If you live in a warmer climate, you may be able to plant the seeds outdoors in the fall and achieve the same results. In the U.S., hollyhocks can manage in USDA hardiness zones 3-8 (see http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/). In cooler zones (e.g., 3), you’ll definitely want to start indoors — either the previous fall or early in the spring. In warmer zones (e.g., 8), you can sow seeds outdoors in the fall or spring. Hollyhock seeds are large, have a high germination rate, and come few to a package, so it is best to plant each seed individually. Put each seed 0.25 to 0.5 in (0.64 to 1.27 cm) below the soil.  Any small plant container will do, but plastic “peat pots” filled with perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss are ideal for this. Place the trays near a window where they'll receive ample sunlight. Water the soil as needed to keep it moist. Hollyhock seeds usually germinate in 1 to 2 weeks. You only need to do this if you are growing the plants indoors over the winter. If you’re just starting early in the spring, you can go straight from the peat pots to outdoors. Keep the pots in a sunny spot indoors, and water them regularly.

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Purchase seeds in your choice of variety and color. Plan ahead to increase your chances of first-year blooms. Sow the seeds in individual “peat pots” indoors. Transplant the seedlings into individual 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) pots.