Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Week 29, Year 3: Beautiful Begonias


This week's post is all about the Bs. And no, I'm not talking about Beyonce. Begonias - big, beautiful and bold begonias. Each year, I've had one begonia occupying my side table for our chairs, but this year's garden is a begonia festival, host to three varieties - Tuberous, Ballerina and Angel Wing (maybe).

Although they are often overlooked for flashier annuals, there is so much to love about begonias. The way the flowers bloom is incredibly unique. Each bloom grows from underneath the leaves, starting with a small envelope and exploding into a cascading bloom.
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The leaves could give hostas a run for their money. The underside is always rich in red details while the top shows interesting textures and patterns. The flowers themselves last for a long time and continually bloom if you get it right. They are always delicate and show an incredible depth in texture and color. What’s more, they are easy to grow. They love shade to part shade and are drought tolerant. Plus, begonias are easy to propagate (see the prequel post) – which brings us to the first variety.


Spotted Angel Wing Begonia (I think)
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This plant was the result of a cutting a fellow gardener took from her sister’s overgrown begonia bush. I’m not entirely sure of its variety, but a quick Google search suggests its a Spotted Angel Wing Begonia. The giveaway is in the leaves, which have unique white spots.

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I have it planted with my clematis. It hasn’t bloomed yet (probably due to its week long stay in the fluorescent lighting of office), so I can’t be sure, but I haven’t found any other varieties with this unique leaf pattern. Even without flowers, this is a great plant. The detail in the leaves is fantastic, especially the underside of the leaves – an unexpected bright and juicy red.


Ballerina Begonia
If propagation isn’t for you, the next option is to grow from seed/bulbs. I picked up my ballerina begonia bulbs at a garden show in February and planted them during a warm spell in March. Now, they are all grown up and ready for their blog debut. A unique begonia, the ballerina enjoys the spotlight, tolerating full sun. The leaves are equally eye catching,  showing a bright chartreuse. 
080 But in truth, as with any prima ballerina, this plant is all about the unique, ruffled flowers. The layered texture evokes the taffeta of a blushing ballerina. The colors honor the theme, layers of hot pink, orange and canary softening into pale yellow, apricot and ballerina pink.
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Tuberous Begonias


Finally, if seeds and root cuttings are too much work, there is the ready to go greenhouse option – which brings me to the last variety. The tuberous begonia is probably the most common begonia varietal at your local greenhouse. These annuals have benefitted from breeders and hybridizers and come in a variety of sizes, flower shapes and growing styles. Tuberous begonias are so-named after their thick “tuberlike” root systems. They can grow upright, planted in containers with branches growing skyward, or pendulous, planted in hanging baskets with branches drooping downward. The leaves on the upright are jagged-edged arrows, ranging in colors from shades of green to variegated reds and bronze patterns. The flowers can be single or double ruffled layers curling outward, or straight, rose-like layers curling inward.


In my case, I have two upright tuberous begonias growing in my garden – apricot and yellow.

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The yellow version has its own pot and first occupied the treasured side table spot of my predecessor begonias.  The variegated leaves have a network of maroon veins running through their tops and bottoms.  


The tag claims the flowers are pure yellow. However, my plant seems to have other ideas in mind. When it first bloomed, I had bright pink buds, which quickly grew into ruffled globes on par with the ballerina, showing layers of yellows, pinks and oranges. 
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The apricot tuberous begonia is hanging out in one of the more colorful combo pots.  This guy is a fighter and has been in continual bloom since first planting. While the leaves are a relatively straightforward green, the flowers are incredible. Apricot is actually a vivid orange that has traces of translucent pinks, yellows and purples on the edges. 

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