Hi Ellen,

I started my 4 o clocks in my gh late winter. They are going on their 2nd flush. I collected all the seed off them and they started to bloom again. They smell so pretty at night. Isbt it a bummer they open only at night. Most of the prettiest flowers are at night. My amaranth are a pain. They are not as big as they are supposed to be. Yarrows I need to seperate holy cow taking over. That is good though right new plants for somewhere else. I love my ws verbascum. I am gonna collect seeds and make a million new plants this ws winter. They are so frilly.... Love the larkspur too. Another one I am gonna make alot of. Is there plum smokey verbascum. That will be my number 1 seed I want for 2008 winter. I should go post on the seed wants. I have to say I love WS. No way could I afford all these plants......

I have about twelve huge four oclocks - huge! I haven't seen them opened yet! I forget to check them in the evening, but wouldn't you think they would open early in the morning?

They are so easy to grow, and my leaves are lime green - beautiful - but they just didn't do it for me this year. I am glad that they are in the backyard because they would be considered a "no show" in the front.

Carrie

Only the yellow ones are loaded with blooms and have been blooming for at least 1 month. They are big beautiful healthy plants and blooms start opening around 4pm on the east side of the house where they get sun until about 2:30pm. they usually stay open until about 8am...ahh they smell so nice:)
The broken colored ones planted right next to them are just beginning to bud! Not sure what the deal is with that as they germinated at the same time and were planted at the same time. However, I remember last year the white, broken color and solid fushia (sp?)didn't bloom until like 1st or 2nd week of August and all were planted in the west facing bed and in the strip that runs from NW to NE that gets just about all day sun.

The white one are big and full of blooms. The red one is very small but has blooms. They don't open until late either.

All my 4's are either reseeds or existing plants (they are perennial for me) I have managed with selectinve weeding of reseeders to have a huge red/yellow/ white/ broken colors plus smaller ones of each. I really wish their daily blooming period was longer but the plants are very healthy and fill in spaces in the gardens.

I am falling in love with Amarantha - I was always afraid of it because of the rampant reseeding but the reseeders pull up easy and I like the way it will provide lots of dramatic color even when not blooming. I have added the tri-color this year and it is beautiful - need to get a picture of it and post it - that one is definitely a keeper.......

Lynne

I have one that is blooming now, and it's more than 2 feet tall. I suspect that a tuber survived in the ground over the winter and that's how that one is so big.
I sowed some seeds for other colors, but I can't remember what colors. I had red, fuschia, broken-colors, and white, but I can't remember which ones I put in the ground nor which ones I put where. So I'll have to wait and see when they bloom.
My Balsams (Camelia) are starting to bloom now too, although the one that's blooming is really short. Can't figure out why it's so short.
Ellen,
If you go out early enough in the morning, you might find those 4 O'clocks blooming...must be dawn and dusk that they like. Mine are never open at 4'oclock either (day or night).

Linda

Need to make a correction in my previous post. It is Amarantha Illumination. I also have Tri-color but it is still small - should be pretty by September. I planted it out much later than Illumination

Amarantha Illumination
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Lynne

Ours are blooming up a storm. We've been sitting out on the porch every night recently to enjoy the scent. 4s are the best.

And today Clownie the Four O'Clock (a particular favorite broken color plant) had his very first fully ripe seed! :) :)

I'm so proud of him. He now has his very own special seed saving envelope. (For the folks who've previously asked about Clownie seeds, e-mail was sent to each of you. Check your e-mail if you haven't yet. If for some reason you didn't get the one from me please try sending me an e-mail.)

Lynda

Here is a link that might be useful: Clownie the 4 O'Clock's photo gallery of clown-tastic fun

None of mine is blooming yet and I am in zone I am starting to wonder if these will even flower this year. I think mine is just a little behind with the weird weather we started out with.

Paula

Mine are about a foot tall or more, but not 2 ft yet and have yet to bloom, but they are starting to develop flower buds. I planted this year a yellow and white mix. They don't get a lot of full sun, a couple hours and the rest of the time it's bright shade...we have too many dang maple trees, but the shade keeps the house cool. I heard that the tubers can be stored in the winter like dahlias and will produce bigger plants the second year. I've never grown dahlias, so how would I store them?

Karen

This was my first time trying them and I think they are a terrfic plant - foliage so lush and flowering starting 3rd week in July for me. My only problem is where I put them... in the back of a bed with tall stuff in front. I've got a mix of white, broken, fushia and yellow - love them. I am going to save seed to have more next year.

I also grow Dahlias, and what I usually hose down the excess dirt off of them, label each tuber with a Sharpie, then dunk each tuber in a bleach solution (10%?), then I lay them out to dry on newspaper for a few days. After that, I just put them in shoeboxes and leave them in a cool part of the house, out of the way.
(I added peat one year, and that wasn't good...it just made them moldy. I used kitty litter buckets another year, and that wasn't good either...held too much moisture.)
I'm going to lift some of the 4 O'clocks this year if I get other colors than yellow. I'll save them the same way I do the Dahlias.

Linda

I have both dahlias, calla lilies, elephant ears, canas and four o'clocks in pots. In the fall after frost I cut off the foliage and let the pots dry out then put them in the crawl space in my basement. Bring them out in the spring, water and wait for growth. Other dahlia bulbs are dug up after frost and dried in the sun a few days then put in paper bags and also placed in the crawl space. I also didn't like the peatmoss. Now I don't add anything to the bag. They get very dry but most survive and grow the next year.

My four o-clocks are not doing well this year. Some of them have been destroyed by the wild cats in our neighbourhood (a neighbour and I caught 8 last weekend - 3 generations)and the others are only about 6 inches tall. I planted some fuschia and some broken colours I got in a trade. All the annuals planted out this year are very small and those which have flowered have produced very small blooms. I got a small salvia bloom yesterday, and I'm still waiting for all the rest to grow up!! Too cold and rainy. Where is that Global Warming everyone was talking about?
Northerner.

lynda - those clownies are so beautiful

Carrie

Lynne I have the same aramanth. Mine is not as big as yours. I love them too. That is a beuty..... Lucky you.... Just gotta love them clownies. I also love your name for them. Too funny.... Barb

I have NEVER grown 4 o'clocks b4 this year (my 1st winter sowing year). And can I just say that my husband is getting a whole heaping amount of entertainment out of these little plants.

Mine are only about a foot or so tall. They definitely have plenty of blooms on them.

However...WHEN they bloom remains a mystery to me. I keep missing the show somehow!

So everyday hubbie watches me run out to the yard at certain times of the day hoping to see these crafty little flowers in full bloom.

I have yet to succeed. But at this point, I am determined. **waves fist in air** As God is my witness, I will see these flowers in bloom this season!

:oP

I hear ya, ponce - I do the same...

Carrie