State Rep. Al Adinolfi (R-Cheshire) has proposed legislation to honor Michaela Petit, an 11-year-old who was tragically killed with her sister and mother during a home invasion in 2007.
At the behest of the Petit family and Michaela’s Garden Project, a committee part of the Petit Family Foundation, the representative is sponsoring a bill asking for approval to make Michaela’s 4 O’Clocks, or Mirabilis jalapa, the children’s state flower.
William Petit, Michaela’s father, said “I began planting 4 O’Clocks in my gardens in Cheshire, CT and was joined by my younger daughter Michaela. She helped plant them and often talked of making the soil “cozy” for the seeds and the plants to come. She enjoyed their flowering and helped me collect seeds at the end of each season so we could re-plant them again the following spring.”
Petit said his brother-in-law helped him rescue the surviving flowers after the house burned down in 2007, and though they were in bad health at the time, they were nursed back and used to collect seeds for the following year.
William Petit’s wife Christine, who he married after his wife and the mother of his daughters was killed in the 2007 incident, wrote a letter in support of the bill, saying how it would represent children’s leadership and desire to help others, just like Michaela, her sister and her mother did.
It is important that our youth know that they can make a difference, and these small flowers represent that strength. They are simple to grow, lovely and fragrant, and are a great seed for teaching about genetics and testing the effects that small changes can have. This is an ideal choice for our children, a vibrant, beautiful and hearty flower that rises strong and tall in full sun, with the water and care that all living things require.
The bill will be voted on in the future.
