Lavatera

Tree mallow 'White Angel' will enchant every lover of cottage gardens with its flood of pure white flowers, which in shape resemble hibiscuses or hollyhocks. This robust plant grows to a respectable height of up to one and a half meters and thus forms an unmissable dominant feature in the beds, adding volume and structure to the plantings. Although it is a short-lived perennial that in our conditions only handles frosts down to approximately -12 °C, its rapid growth and rich flowering from June to August make it an irreplaceable part of summer compositions. It thrives best in full sun in well-drained loamy soil, where it will reward you with a literal avalanche of flowers. The flowers of the tree mallow are not only a feast for the eyes but also for beneficial insects, which they tirelessly attract in the garden. They are also edible, so you can safely use them to unconventionally decorate summer salads or desserts. If you want to bring a piece of this fragile beauty home, the stems are excellently suited for cutting into a vase, where they will last to bring joy for several days. The 'White Angel' variety stands out for its purity and elegance, thanks to which it will brighten up even the most ordinary corner of the garden and combines wonderfully with brightly colored perennials or airy grasses.

Tree mallow Duet is an unmissable dominant feature of summer flower beds that will win you over with its flood of cup-shaped flowers. This vigorously growing perennial, botanically classified among the mallow family, does not deny its origins from the warmer regions of the Mediterranean, and therefore it loves full sun and well-drained loamy soil. Although it behaves more like a short-lived perennial in our country, it puts its life energy into extremely abundant flowering from June to August. The plant forms upright, almost shrubby clumps that fit perfectly into country gardens and modern perennial plantings, where they quickly fill empty spaces. The Duet cultivar boasts softly pink flowers with darker venation, which literally attract bees and other pollinators. In addition to its ornamental function, it also has a practical use, as the flowers are edible and can be used to decorate summer salads or desserts. The sturdy stems are also suitable for cutting into a vase, where they will continue to bring joy for several days if you harvest them at the stage when the buds are just opening. Just watch out for stronger frosts; the plant is frost-hardy down to about -10 °C, so in colder areas, it will appreciate winter cover.

You will fall in love with tree mallow 'Candy Floss' for its flood of delicately pink flowers that resemble cotton candy. This originally Mediterranean plant very quickly forms a rich, almost shrub-like clump in the garden, which is literally covered in flowers during the summer. Thanks to its origin, it loves sunny and warm locations with well-drained soil, where it thrives best. Its open calyxes are an irresistible attraction for bees and bumblebees, so the flower bed will be buzzing with life. The flowers are not only beautiful to look at but also edible, so you can unconventionally decorate summer salads or desserts with them. They are also suitable for cutting into a vase, where they will keep bringing joy for several days. Although it is a perennial, it often behaves as a short-lived plant in our conditions. Its frost resistance reaches roughly -10 degrees Celsius, so we recommend planting it in protected areas and covering it with conifer branches or a thicker layer of mulch for winter to secure its beauty for the next season.

Lavatera hybrida, better known as tree mallow, is a record holder in growth speed and the ability to turn a flower bed into a blooming oasis in a single season. The 'Blushing Bride' variety will enchant you with its delicate, satin-like flowers in a pastel pink color with darker veining. This plant behaves more like a subshrub and in a sunny location can create an impressive dominant feature, whose flowers are moreover edible and will excellently decorate summer desserts. Growing it is suitable even for complete beginners, because tree mallow does not suffer from diseases or pests and handles drier conditions excellently. It is a rewarding plant for the back parts of perennial beds, where its growth will create a beautiful background for lower perennials. Although it is a short-lived perennial that can freeze out in harsh winters, its ability to bloom all summer long is irreplaceable. The flower stems can be cut into large bouquets in the style of cottage gardens. For successful overwintering in our climate zone, we recommend mounding the roots with mulch or spruce branches, as the frost resistance hovers around -10°C.