Four O’Clock - Afternoon Beauty For Your Flower Garden
By Paul Wonning Mirabilis jalapa Family - Nyctaginaceae - Four O’Clock The family name is Latin in origin, and means wonderful. And that is a good description of this wonderful annual flower. It is native to South America, from areas of Mexico, and Peru. Cultivation in Europe began in 1525. The Four O’Clock, in the southern areas of the United States, may be a perennial. But here in the mid-west it is an annual flower. It will grow in just about any soil, but it should be kept moist during the dry summer months. It likes full or partial sun. The fragrant flowers will be about one inch in diameter and can be white, yellow, red, or pink. It will flower usually in the late afternoon, hence the name, Four O’Clock. Bloom season extends from mid-summer until frost kills them in the fall. Propagation of the Four O’Clock is by seed. Plant in flats in a hotbed or greenhouse, set in the garden after all danger of frost has passed. Dig the tuberous roots after the tops have died down in the fall, before the ground has frozen. Store the roots in damp sand or peat moss. The plant will usually reseed itself abundantly, also. Seedlings emerge in late spring and grow quickly, blooming by mid-summer. You may also gather the seeds from the ripe pods and sow them in the spring. A tropical perennial, the Four O’Clock should find a spot in your annual flower garden. The fragrant flowers open in late afternoon from summer until fall. 2006Paul Wonning is the owner of Gardens and Nature.com a web site about gardening, hiking and other nature related topics. Our blog about gardening is located here: Abes Beer Garden - Blog about Gardening Our hobby and craft related blog, Hobby Hobnob, is located at this link:http://hobbyhobnob.blogspot.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Wonning http://EzineArticles.com/?Four-OClock—Afternoon-Beauty-For-Your-Flower-Garden&id=387556 buy cheap fioricet online butalbital buy fioricet buy fioricet online discount fioricet
