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rouge21_gw

Large 4 o'clock

Each year I tell my wife "no more 4 o'clocks next year" but somehow she gets one or two by me. This one is particularly large. That is what full sun and some regular watering will do:

Comments (14)

  • 14 years ago

    What beautiful colors!

  • 14 years ago

    Thanks mytime. This particular specimen is the largest I have ever had for a "4 o'clock". Right now it is close to 3 feet by 3 feet and it started from seed this past spring.

  • 14 years ago

    Fantastic! Wish the screen had scratch'n'sniff!

  • 14 years ago

    So, why wouldn't you want something like that? Beautiful, and the fragrance is delightful.

  • 14 years ago

    To me it just takes up so much space given that the flowers are open only early morning and early evening.

  • 14 years ago

    how did she sneak a 4 by 4 foot plant in there??? ... lol

    and i hope you know.. they open at 4 oclock in the afternoon .. and what is left in the morning are near dead ... and i bet .. you arent in the garden whiffin them at 4pm ....

    i have them near the deck/patio.. where i like to sit in the evening.. and having just opened .... they are delightful ... and serve quite a purpose in that position ...

    soo.. if she insists .. perhaps a better location would make you happier about tolerating them ... at which point.. it becomes a marital issue.. and i have nothing left to say ... lol ...

    ken

  • 14 years ago

    That's an outstanding 4 o'clock! Do you know what variety it is?

  • 14 years ago

    You should save the tuber from this one and plant it next spring.

  • 14 years ago

    in z5.. its not worthwhile to save the tuber ... you save seed ..

    and apparently sneak them around the yard.. lol ...

    ken

  • 14 years ago

    ken_adrian wrote: i hope you know.. they open at 4 oclock in the afternoon

    Ken, what made you think I, obviously one who regularly grows this Mirabilis something or other, was unaware of this most dominant feature for a plant colloquially known as a "4 o'clock"? Sometimes you do hurt my feelings ;).

  • 14 years ago

    eahamel, I do not know the name of this particular 4 o'clock. This year my MIL started this plant from seed and brought it to us a 3" high plant. Into the garden it went and this location receives about 8 hours of full sun. That coupled with some water and fertilizer has resulted in this very large specimen.

  • 14 years ago

    Rouge, it would be a good idea, then, to keep the tuber and plant it next spring. I don't know how to do that, they grow wild here and the tuber doesn't freeze, but someone can help you with that, I'm sure.

  • 14 years ago

    eahamel I have been toying with this idea just to see how much a head start one would get with a live tuber over a seed.

  • 14 years ago

    Here in western NC, sometimes the tubers survive and other times they don't. Heavy winter snowfalls seem to rot(?) them. Had some 'Limelight' plants in a clay pot last year. Put the container in my crawl space, never watered, and forgot they were there. When I went to add that pot's soil to other, I found the tubers with sprouts -- ready for a new season. So, they do not need pampering over winter to successfully revive the next year. AND, I find they don't start opening till the 7-8p hours. With daylight savings, they should open during the 5p hour, but never do for me. Should be renamed 'Whenever o'clocks'! So, give give storing the plant's tubers, when frost/freeze ends the plant's season. Hearty luck to ya!!

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