Ingaborg's Mallow

Only here will anyone find this plant identified as Inga's mallow.  Her gift to Becky many years ago is the original source of this plant and its continuing presence in our garden.  Malva sylvestrs is the plant's proper name.  In our rather northern garden, this plant is a self seeding annual.  It chooses where it will grow while we provide some assistance. This plant sends down a sizable taproot so if it is to be moved that must be done early.

Ingaborg emigrated to this country from Germany between the two world wars.  We do not know if mallow seeds were included among the items that she brought with her from her homeland.  We do know that in her later years she would frequently weed out this plant since it was not the vegetable that she had planted.  Our transplants kept this plant alive in her garden for several years.  Now these beautiful flowers connect us with many pleasant memories of our various interactions with Inga.

One amazing feature of this plant is that its seeds continue to sprout all summer.  All of these pictures were taken on the same recent day and new plants are growing close by ones in full bloom.  These young plants will insure that we have flowers well into the fall.  We planted the purple flowered Helitrope while the mallows are self seeded and appeared well after the others were planted.  Our choice was to leave the grouping alone.

These seedlings are much younger and protected inside of a wire cage.  This cage provides protection from rabbits and keeps taller neighbors from shading out the mallows.  Function won out over appearance in this instance.

This poor plant lies just outside of the circle of protection.  Rabbits had a meal here but the plant does not look like it intends to give up.  We will watch but there is simply no way that a cage can be placed here.  This plants determination to continue in the face of adversity reminds us of the strength of character displayed by Inga.