Biennials are plants that complete their life cycle in two years of growing seasons. During the first growing season they produce leaves, usually a rosette; then in the second growing season, preceded by a cold period, they produce blooms and die. For the flower gardener, biennials present the obvious disadvantage of producing only foliage the first year and no blooms. For this reason, new varieties have been developed that produce early bloom. "Foxy" is a variety of foxglove that will bloom the first year. Biennial seeds can be sown in midsummer to produce plants that develop in the fall, forcing the plant to bloom the next year. Popular biennials are stock and hollyhock. Cultural practices are basically the same as for annuals, except the plants remain two years.