Eucomis bicolor-Pineapple Lily

Eucomis bicolor is commonly called 'Pineapple Lily' because the flowers resemble a pineapple. This bulb is native to Africa and in the US is hardy in zones 8-10. My garden in Chicago is nowhere near the required zones so I grow it and then lift it in the winter and store the bulbs indoors in a cool and dry area.

 

Black Hollyhocks

Alcea rosea is an old fashioned plant that I remember from my childhood but I don't see in many gardens now. When I was a kid there was an eccentric woman in my neighborhood that we called the "crazy bird lady" because her old Victorian knock-off was always covered in pigeons.