Four O’Clocks

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” – Buddha

Below is a picture of the 4 O’Clocks along our sidewalk leading to the front door.  They are small trumpet shaped flowers that come in many vibrant colors.  Their scent is sweet and attracts hummingbirds too.  🙂

Ours have been re-seeding themselves in the flower bed since before we bought the house.  I’m happy to carry-on the responsibility of making sure they come back year after year.  I enjoy them SO much.

The bloom time of four o’clocks is said to correspond to changes in light and temperature, so they open in the cool of the evening, usually between about four and eight p.m., or a bit earlier on cloudy afternoons. (courtesy of Burpee.com; four o’clocks)

^^^They aren’t crazy about the hot heat so they close up during the peak of sunlight.

If you’re interested in growing this flower, you have to buy a few packets of seed to begin with.

The plants won’t be this big or cover this much ground unless you buy like 100 seeds!!  This is a result of years and years of re-seeding.

How I maintain them:  In the fall after everything has tapered off, I remove the dead plants.  But before I do so, I shake them off a bit to ensure the seedlings remain in the flower bed and not stuck to the dead stalks.  Then, I lay down (spreading with a rake) a few bags of manure and top soil to help the seedlings along on their journey to the following Spring.  I diligently keep the weeds away, and water 2-3 times per week.  I’ve never fertilized as the manure and top soil do it for me.

I hope I’ve inspired you to consider this variety in next years garden! 🙂