Meandering Missive: Garden update: 4 o'clock SURPRISE :)

Monday, October 31, 2005

Garden update: 4 o'clock SURPRISE :)

My OTHER 4 o'clocks are sprouting! :)

As many of you know, I planted a handful of 4 o'clock seeds (Mirabilis jalapa), also called Marvel of Peru, in mid-September. I harvested the mini black grenade-shaped seeds myself from 2 of my fave plants. Half were from a plant with magenta/pink and white variegated flowers; the other half from a plant with magenta/pink and yellow variegated flowers. (I planted them in the same container but did not mix the 2 types).

Here's a refresher of ONE style of 4 o'clock variegation; flowers can have any mixture of stripes, splotches or "pie piece" chunks of color! Click either pic for a larger close-up.

By the end of September, the mag-and-white seeds began germinating. Please visit my Sept. 28 entry for more info about the seed sowing and about the unusual beauty and habits of 4 o'clocks in general. :) As October began, mag-and-white seedlings popped up in the container I started them in and also in the poor soil along the fence where I threw a few. (Among the many good attributes of 4 o'clocks is they tolerate almost any soil). Take a look at these thriving babies for the proof!

My Oct. 6 entry has a short update on the progression of the container germinated seedlings, and a photo of how cute they looked as their lanceolate "adult" foliage was just starting to come out.

Unfortunately, NO seeds from the magenta-and-yellow 4 o'clocks had sprouted for most of October, and I couldn't figure out why. Both seed groupings got the same amount of water, sun and warmth. I concluded that even though both parent plants were the same Mirabilis species (jalapa), perhaps they were different strains/varieties. So far I've heard of three different names for 4 o'clocks with variegated blossoms: "Jingles," "Broken Colours" and "Kaleidoscope". I don't know if these also represent three truly different strains/varieties or not. What I do know is that the mag-and-yellow parent is taller, and has stronger-scented flowers than the mag-and-white, so maybe their differences carry through into germinating habits as well.

The good news is that just a few days ago, the magenta-and-yellows FINALLY sprouted! First it was ONE lonely little head peeking up out of the soil, but now -- as if making up for lost time -- there are at least EIGHT! I'm so happy and proud of them! :D I wasn't sure if they were sterile seeds or simply "late bloomers," so I never gave up on them. And I'm glad I didn't!! And here they are (not all are in the picture)....

Below are more pix of what the magenta-and-yellow and magenta-and-white 4 o'clocks look like as adults. (Click for close-ups). I'm always amazed by the variety of colors and patterns on their flowers. :)

Today I am feeling gleeful and

proud (of the seeds!).

posted by ScaryShari @ 1:55 PM

1 Comments:

At 9:28 PM, ScaryShari said…

My 4 o'clocks thank you for this post... and for your interest in growing them! ;) They promise to have lots of weird and colourful variegation! (Incidentally, what does DH think of 4 o'clocks? I hope he likes them!)

I have a little seed pile waiting for the next time I see you. Of course, now that it's November, I suggest waiting until spring to actually sow them. September would've been great, but November is kind of pushing it.

Anyhoo, some seeds will be from the magenta-and-white parent, some from the magenta-and-yellow. I'm mixing them; that way you won't notice the mag-and-yellow are a month late to germinate, because you'll have plenty mag-and-white coming up before them! *chuckle*

Sorry about Blogspot's word verification, BTW. Sometimes I misread the letters myself! However, I had to turn on the verification option due to having automatic "spambots" post comments all over my blog. :(

Happy day!
Shari

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