I’ve always loved stories that involve mini people living in the world of mega people. These include Mary Norton’s classic The Borrowers and the 1960’s American TV series The Land of the Giants. Giant safety pins as grappling hooks, sleeping in match boxes, finding enormous crisps to snack on and escaping from hungry cats (using aforementioned grappling hooks and elastic bands), all enchant.
Today at The Farm I thought I was at last living my dream. I rounded the corner to find the Alcea ficifolia in full statuesque bloom, standing at least 2.5m tall. The monstrous size of these fig leaved hollyhocks has been somewhat of a surprise, but I love them. The spires, covered with saucer like blooms of palest yellow and white, both with a central grass green blotch, are a dramatic sight indeed. Each time I spy them I smile, perhaps giggle a little. Whether or not they suffer these wet winds is uncertain, but if they fall they may be of some use. Perhaps some little folk will gather the flowers and make a flotilla of boats to sail away on the newly formed rivulets.
I have fond memories of bedtime stories told by a cousin of my mother’s which involved tiny people who slept in half-walnut shells and drank dew drops. A lovely way to slip into sleep. The hollyhocks must be a magnificent sight.
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That sounds enchanting! I also remember Little Grey Men, when they “borrowed” a toy yacht whose owner (a little boy) had put a blackberry and mint cream on board. They sliced the mint cream like a cake and pulled off globules of the blackberry and ate them like apples. Lovely.
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Oh! And did you read Terry Pratchett’s Trucker Trilogy?
Love the photo, I do hope they survive the wind and rain for a bit longer.
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No, must look for those, only read Johnny and the Dead, which was brilliant.
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The Borrowers were a great favourite of mine. Love your image of a little people’s flotilla.
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Beautiful, I love the white with a green eye, I haven’ t seen that colour before.
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They are beautiful.
Do they suffer from rust like the ordinary hollyhock?
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I am pretty certain they do, they have got to this size in just two years. If they set seed would you like some?
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Yes please.😀
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