HEAVENLY BEGONIA
If there is one plant which I thought would be a temporary feature in my garden but which I want to grow next year, it is the evergreen, fibrous rooted, semperflorens begonia 'Heaven White'. I bought a couple of trays of young plants for my garden earlier this year and not one have them has died, not one has succumbed to disease, been eaten by pests, been damaged by rain or wind, and not one has failed to flower or look extremely healthy. They have grown in size but remained quite compact and neat and, at dusk, they glow in the fading light. Such a simple plant, such an undemanding plant, and if I bring one or two indoors over winter, I can take cuttings from them which, I have no doubt, will take. No trimming, no dead-heading has been carried out.
I believe they like partial shade; well-draining but moist, slightly acid soil. As mine have been planted all around the garden, in various conditions of soil and light, it seems they are not really all that fussy. However, how they would grow in a year with a lot of sunshine, with little rain, remains to be seen. The chances of them getting that where I live, on the Pennines in West Yorkshire, is remote.
Next year I want to try growing them in a tub. I like the cool elegance of the bright green leaves and pretty white flowers with their yellow 'eyes'. I may also grow them in the trough under the kitchen window where it is quite shady except for the early morning sun all year round.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society they can be prone to insect attack and mildew, so how come that I have been fighting mildew on my roses, aphid attack on my roses, but nothing on the begonias. There is a moral in that story - throw out the roses and grow begonias. It'll never happen.
As I mentioned, I want to bring a couple indoors for over winter. Begonia semperflorens make a good houseplant and it is easy to take cuttings. Here's a link to Houseplants.About which gives advice.
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| Begonia Heaven White - early September 2012 |
Next year I want to try growing them in a tub. I like the cool elegance of the bright green leaves and pretty white flowers with their yellow 'eyes'. I may also grow them in the trough under the kitchen window where it is quite shady except for the early morning sun all year round.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society they can be prone to insect attack and mildew, so how come that I have been fighting mildew on my roses, aphid attack on my roses, but nothing on the begonias. There is a moral in that story - throw out the roses and grow begonias. It'll never happen.
As I mentioned, I want to bring a couple indoors for over winter. Begonia semperflorens make a good houseplant and it is easy to take cuttings. Here's a link to Houseplants.About which gives advice.