Variegated Mallow

I grow variegated mallows for their foliage as well as their small lilac flowers. I discovered Kings Seeds seed catalogue in 1998 and among my first order was a packet of these seeds.

I instantly thought I'd like them, but I had no idea how well they would grow. And so I duly planted six out in the Wattle Woods garden and then forgot about them.

variegated mallow - weed or plant?

Towards the end of that first summer I noticed that they were almost as tall as me, and my close planting had given them a hedge-like form. I built the little path to wind behind them, and congratulated myself on my unique if unusual good taste.

Weeds?

Then I attempted to show off my variegated mallows to Stephen. He (a practical botanically minded man) was not impressed. They were weeds, he stated, and why on earth was I interested in cultivating them? The variegations, rich cream with mid-green, did not impress him either - "scruffy leaves" he said dismissively.

I can lose gardening confidence rather easily, so it is with some nervousness that I still grow these "scruffy weeds". After they flower I prune them heavily, and replace them with new plants after two or three years. Seedlings are appearing everywhere, and luckily they're variegated too.

2009 Update on Variegated Mallows

It's now the summer of 2009 and my variegated mallows have become quite a feature in the Wattle Woods, the site of those initial plantings all those years ago.