years ago my mother planted some hollyhocks at the cottage. I personally can't stand the things. When they flower they are beautiful but before and after they just look like an ugly weed.
They also spread , and I wanted to keep them in one corner. So everytime I cut the lawn I would mow down the ones I didn't want. But every week they would grow back.
So next I tried to dig them out, but the roots go down almost two feet and I couldn't get them all out.
So next I tried gasoline, just a dab and a quick light with a match. Sadly they came back even faster.
I ended up transplanting everything else in the garden, and letting them go wild. We still have to cut them down with the lawn mower as they continue to pop up 3 and 4 feet away in the lawn.
So this is my garden of hollyhocks .....