Grandpa's Flowers

What better way to start the summer off than with hollyhocks.  These beauties greeted me as I came home tonight - and it was a lovely surprise.

I forgot they were there.  Which is kind of funny considering that they are going right on top of the red tulips that came up this Spring - that I also forgot were there.

My grandpa used to have hollyhocks growing right outside of his front door.  I always thought that they were the tallest flowers in the world.  Then I thought that when I grew up I would realize that they really weren't.  I still think they're the tallest flowers in the world.  These things are huge!

I must say that they definitely make me think of home and family when I see them.  I almost checked the freezer to see if there was any blueberry pie waiting there as well.  Unfortunately there wasn't.

I guess that I miss my grandpa's garden.  Even though we never went out to work in it, I notice that I've planted all of my favorite plants that I learned from him - the rhubarb and blueberry in the vegetable parterre, the lilacs on the north drive, and now we have hollyhocks on the south drive.

Here's to summer - and to my grandpa!

(Miss you gramps - Love, Joe.)