GARDEN PRIDE is a biennial herbaceous plant from the Mallow family, known as pink or common hollyhock. The stem height ranges from 80 cm to 2.5 m, and large double flowers reach a diameter of 6–8 cm and are arranged in tall racemes. The flowering period lasts from July to September, with each bud containing one to five bell-shaped flowers in a pink hue.
The plant is undemanding: it is frost-resistant and drought-tolerant, and grows easily in open ground. For seed sowing, it is recommended to sow them in April with a 20 cm interval between plants and to compact the soil. Care for garden pride includes moderate watering, soil loosening, and fertilizing to ensure full development of stems and flowers.
GARDEN PRIDE possesses not only decorative value but also useful properties: the plant is an excellent honey plant, attracting pollinating insects. In folk medicine, infusions and decoctions are made from petals for treating gastrointestinal diseases, colds, and coughs, as well as using compresses for wound healing. Thanks to the content of vitamins, microelements, and carotene, the plant can be a valuable addition both to decorative flower beds and to the diet of fodder crops.
