Growing 4 O'Clock Flower (Mirabilis Jalapa) In My Garden.

I now have growing in my garden some plants that are called 4 o'clock plants or 4 o'clock flowers. In July, we were in Fraser's Hill and I collected some seeds from the 4 o'clock plants growing besides a rest house that we passed by on our evening walk.

 I collected seeds from both the yellow and deep pink flowering plants but they got mixed up by the time I reached home. I germinated some of the seeds, hoping to get seedlings of both colours growing.

I am happy that the seedlings were of both colours growing in my garden. I am now enjoying the yellow and deep pink flowers.

Surprisingly, I also have these light orange or beige flowers blooming from the yellow flowering plants.

These are the seeds of the 4 o'clock plants. They are easy to germinate. I just pushed each seeds into the soil about half an inch deep.

Baby seedling of 4 o'clock plant in a flower pot. Another common name is Marvel-of-Peru. Its scientific name is Mirabilis Jalapa.

These are the flower buds. Very excited to see the colour of the flowers.

More branches, more flower buds.

Yellow flowers were the first to appear.

Pink flowers appearing too. I was overjoyed because I have plants from both colours growing!

 Such a sweet beige colour.

 Initially I was worried about the curled leaves but later they turned out well. 

It is named 4 o'clock flowers because the flowers only open late afternoon around 4 o'clock. The flowers are closed for the first part of the day. Everyday we get new flowers blooming.

They like warm weather and my plants are exposed to full sun.

I have read from the internet that the flowers especially the red ones can used as food colouring and the juice extracted from the leaves are used for healing of wounds and inflamation.

 The black seeds can be easily collected to propagate new plants. Seedlings grow easily from seeds that dropped onto the surrounding area.

It is claimed that the seeds are poisonous but they are used for traditional healing in crushed powdered form. I grow these plants for their pretty flowers and not for their medicinal uses.

Linking to Flower Wednesday.

If a child asks his father for a loaf of bread,

will he be given a stone instead?

If he asks for fish, will he be given a poisonous snake?

Of course not! And if you hard-hearted,

sinful men know how to give good gifts to your children,

won't your Father in heaven even more certainly

give good gifts to those who ask him for them?

(Matthew 7:9-11, The Living Bible-TLB)