By Keri Letourneau
Correspondent
July 16, 2008 02:04 am METHUEN — Standing more than 9 feet tall, the rare batch of flowers flourishing in Rocco Miele's yard needs little upkeep or care. "I don't use fertilizer or anything," said Miele, "and I only water them on occasion. I say leave it to nature." Miele, 86, has used this unorthodox method to grow a crop of four o'clock flowers in his front yard that far exceed their normal height range of 2 to 5 feet, to create a large addition to his blossoming garden that winds along his house and nearly touches the roof. Four o'clocks, also called the "Marvel of Peru," are bright trumpet-shaped flowers that are predominantly found in North and South America. They get their name because they open in midafternoon and stay open all night, closing in the early-morning sun. Though the new addition to his garden was unexpected, gardening has been a part of Miele's life from a very early age. "My mother (Maryrose Miele) loved flowers," he said. "I took after her and I've been growing them all my life." He said he brought his mother flowers every Sunday until she died. In addition to his four o'clock flowers, Miele has an assortment of other large plants that fill his yard at 40 Darius St., including a great tulip tree that casts an imposing figure on the yard's landscape.
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Photos
Rocco Miele, 86, stands in front of the mirabilis jalapas, or four o'clock flowers, he planted 15 years ago, which today stand more than 9 feet tall and almost reach the top of his house on Darius Street in Methuen. Staff photo