Viable Or Not?

Day 333: Almost every year, I save seeds from my black Hollyhocks, intending to plant them in the spring. The few times I have actually remembered to do so, I have had no luck in getting them to sprout. Theoretically, they should self-sow, but the area is masked by other vegetation (very little of it desirable), and I suspect the birds and mice get the seeds before they can reach the ground. That said, over the last few year, the number of stately plants seems to have increased somewhat, and certainly not through any intervention on my part. Not only that, but they seem to be sturdier, taller, and bloom over a longer season (there are still a few flowers on these). Perhaps some day, my vision of massed black Hollyhocks as a backdrop for the Barren Wasteland will come true. It's only been thirty years since I started the project.