BEGONIA 'HEAVEN WHITE' IN WINTER
I love value for money, like most people, and when I bought a couple of trays of the fibrous begonia 'Heaven White' in early spring, I was not expecting to be enjoying two of the plants right into December. As mentioned in an earlier post, I brought them indoors when the frost started to nip at them. At first they were not happy at being dug out of the ground, cut back, stuffed into pots, then put in a far warmer environment in what I call my breakfast room. I thought for a while they might not survive, but they have. My kitchen window bottom and the breakfast bar that face East are the only places that my cat doesn't tread and that get enough, barely enough, sunlight to keep plants over winter. Fortunately, begonias do not demand a lot of sunlight.
The two Heaven White begonias, of course, aren't quite as splendid as they were in the garden as they are having to deal with quite a big change of environment as well as a bit of rough treatment. However, flowers are being produced - and beautiful ones too - and new leaves are starting to appear. I am hopeful that, next spring, I will be able to take ample cuttings to restock my garden. They look lovely at dusk, shining bright when coloured flowers in the garden turn to grey.
More recently still I removed the tuberous begonias from the trough under my kitchen window, outside of course. One begonia, in particular, had been spectacular throughout summer: Begonia 'Illumination' Light Pink. As mentioned in an earlier post, for the longest time I have been throwing away begonia tubers without even realising it! When I look at the size of the tubers that I have just removed from the trough they must have trebled in size from when I planted them in late spring. Now, all I have to do is overwinter them in a cool dry place and hope they do well again next year. The other tubers, 'Illumination' Rose, did not do so well although one is relatively big.
The two Heaven White begonias, of course, aren't quite as splendid as they were in the garden as they are having to deal with quite a big change of environment as well as a bit of rough treatment. However, flowers are being produced - and beautiful ones too - and new leaves are starting to appear. I am hopeful that, next spring, I will be able to take ample cuttings to restock my garden. They look lovely at dusk, shining bright when coloured flowers in the garden turn to grey.
More recently still I removed the tuberous begonias from the trough under my kitchen window, outside of course. One begonia, in particular, had been spectacular throughout summer: Begonia 'Illumination' Light Pink. As mentioned in an earlier post, for the longest time I have been throwing away begonia tubers without even realising it! When I look at the size of the tubers that I have just removed from the trough they must have trebled in size from when I planted them in late spring. Now, all I have to do is overwinter them in a cool dry place and hope they do well again next year. The other tubers, 'Illumination' Rose, did not do so well although one is relatively big.
 |
| Begonia Illumination Light Pink on the left; Illumination Rose on the right. |