Hollyhock (Althaea)

Firstly many thanks for all the comments for yesterdays blip. After I posted I wondered if I should have called it "A silver & grey day" - and some of you described it as silver too.
And NO it did not rain...... still waiting, but the Other Half says we might have some by Sunday, if not late Saturday. Only thing is we have the Havelock Mussel Festival on tomorrow (Saturday) and we don't want any rain until that is over. I am heading out of there tomorrow morning to help set up the display in the Pelorus Promotions tent - another day that I have to get up before daylight - grrrr ......don't like getting up too early.
I stayed on in town this afternoon to stop at Havelock to help put up the tent. Finally got back home about 7.00pm, left the car at Te Mahia and boated home.
The last of our sapphires that we found in the Gemfields in Queensland arrived today. We leave them over there to be cut and then they get sent to us. Going to be a blip when I get time to try and get some good photos of them.
So, now minus 1 tooth after the visit to the dentist this morning (another one, getting older really sucks!) After doing that, I was debating about going back to my son's house to blob out, just doing something for myself. So I went to Pollard Park, where I haven't been for ?? 'mumble, mumble' number of years (think I had children in pushchairs back then)
There was one tree that was a blaze of yellow leaves, and it reflected beautifully in the water of the stream. The roses are in full bloom but also had full sunlight on them. The scent was heavenly, they have a great selection of scented roses there.
Bees & the white butterflies were busy in the borders of flowers, but I found some nearly finished Hollyhock plants. Always loved these flowers, not too sure why. But here it is.