My favorite begonia EVER!!!

Beyond words!!!

I'm going to start a fan club for this plant! I've never had any one plant get such nice comments. Thank you. My other plants are getting a complex. LOL

Let me see if I can answer the questions. It is just one plant. When my mom gave it to me it was a tiny little thing and didn't grow much until I repotted it into a large pot. I think I've repotted three times now. Each time just getting a little larger. Can't remember the potting soil I used. I did toss a handful of osmocote in there at the begining of the summer. I honestly haven't done anything at all to it this summer. It's in the back forty and don't really pay much attention to it.
Shirley it won't grow much during the winter. So if you do repot it only put it in a pot that is a little bit larger. You don't want rot to set in over the winter.
Anything I missed?

Here is a picture of some of my hardy begonias. Some of the leaves get huge. I have some that have pink, white, and hot pink blooms.

Thanks Kristi. Maybe I better plant them all in separate pots. I should be able to get one to live out of three, don't you think? LOL!

You'll get them to live. Stick them all in one pot! You'll need the space. I was just sitting here thinking about all I have to bring in. Today is going to be cull day. Both girls are home sick so I'll need something to do. We had a really bad wind storm on Saturday so everything that was in bloom looks like heck. Might as well do it now or I'll wimp out later. It happens every year.

I know what you mean...storm damage is always a mess. It is cool here this morning and I've been out taking pictures, but it's hard to do when it is windy. I have so much to sort through, cuttings to take, and truck loads of stuff that will have to go to the landfill. I'm not looking forward to the work and so I keep putting it off. Sorry the girls are sick. I was puny all weekend and not really feeling up to par yet today. Must be the season. LOL!

Hope you get to feeling better.

A friend of mine pointed me toward this thread...and all I can say is WOW!

~juile~

I love Begonia's, I have many different kinds, being in zone 9 they're planted in the ground and take the light freezes we get here, but YOURS is the most beautifull I've seen, and is a definite must have!!!!! Thank you so much for posting it.

Very beautiful plant. Where did you find it and does it work for zone 6a? You must have at lease 5 green thumbs on each hand.

I'm not Kristi, but I found mine online from Plants for Kids.

I knew I should have *watched* this thread! Thanks Brugie...I just ordered THREE of them! And I was already fudging on my garden budget. :-D
(Thanks for the info on Plants for Kids. A quick google and up it popped!)

~julie~

A special person gave me one of these today!! :-)

Well, I have no room to overwinter one so I'll bookmark that site for the spring. Thanks Shirley!
Terrie

Glad everyone is able to find a place to purchase it. Mine was given to me by my mom several years ago. Thanks Shirley for the source. Hope everyone enjoys their plants.

THANK YOU BRUGIE. I went to Plants for Kids and I ordered 1. Don't have much space left for to many new plants. THEY ARE ON SELL. Know what is the care for one. Didn't find to much there about how to care for them.

They send instructions with the plant. It is very simple to care for one, but I'm sure I can find a way to kill them.

Brugie, I'll tell you what...you send me your begonia, I'll plant with mine, then I'll send you *my* brug...and maybe we'll both be sucessful! (I just got my first brug cutting from a wonderful lady...and I'm scared to death of it! LOL)

I honestly don't think I've fallen head over heels for ANY plant the way I did the escargot...it's amazing to look at. And I can't thank you enough for pointing me in the direction of Plants for Kids. And to find the Escargot on sale! WOW! What a thrill!

~julie~

Julie, don't be afraid of the brug. They are very easy to grow as long as you don't let the mites and caterpillars dine on them. LOL! I'm glad you got your begonia plant ordered. You will receive it pretty quickly too.

That is awesome Kristi ... time to go shopping. Thanks Shirley!!

Brugie...mind if I call you Shirley, too? :-)

Thanks for the vote of confidence on that brug. I hope I can be a worthy caregiver for this one.

~julie~

I actually prefer it Julie. LOL! Again, you will do fine with it. I only hope I can do as well with the begonias as I do brugs. I don't feel very confident right now.

To all you great gardeners who are ordering this wonderful Begonia.....the way to kill this plant is to "overwater" it. Make sure is is dry before you water again. This plant is a rhizomatous type and it keeps water in the rhizome, so if the soil is kept too moist, it will rot and die on you. Believe me, I have killed many very expensive Rex's. lol

I have become very interested in growing Begonias this year and even joined the Begonia Society. I have a lot to learn, as these people are Begonia Addicts for sure...... I have to start somewhere! Here is a great link to some wonderful information on growing all types of Begonias and their care.


http://members.aol.com/Btbegonia/index.html

Donna

Donna...THANK you for that piece of information! This is my first year with begonias and I know I'm smitten. I've never seen anything quite like them for brightening up my shadey borders. That AND the fact that the ones I had were far more sturdy than they appeared to be, makes them a *must have* on my shopping list.

Shirley...if *I* can take the chance (ignorance and all!) and still feel like I have a 50/50 chance of making it work...I *KNOW* you can do it!

~julie~

Thanks Julie. I'll take Donna's advice and see if I can make at least one of mine grow. LOL!

Yippeeee!!! I just got my USPS number (like THAT's gonna work!) for my Escargot shipment from Plants for Kids!! I cannot believe how fast they ship. I'll have to check out some more things NEXT SPRING!! :-)

I'll be checking on you Shirley...we HAVE to compare notes through the winter.

~julie~

I don't plan on going anywhere. LOL! I'm confined to my house because of all the plants I take care of. Besides, I'm addicted to my computer and Daves Garden. I'll be around. Talk to you later, Julie.

I know about that kind of confinement! My DH thinks it's a lot better than me asking to go somewhere nice (tropical) for a vacation. :-)

~julie~

Oh, yeah...the addiction? YEP! ;-)

Okay, Julie. Looks like I'm following you around tonight. Time for me to turn it. Talk to ya'll tomorrow!
Terrie

Terrie...ME too! I'm REALLY tired...even too tired to think about painting on toilet paper! ROTF

~julie~

Received my Escargot last week. Today I am going to transfer it to a little bigger pot the one it came in is a 2 inch plastic pot, moving it to a 3 inch clay pot. Is it wise to mist this plant?

2pugs, that's a good question. I got mine last week, and stuck them (pots and all) into a decorative pot, covered the rims with sphagnum, for "show" until I find out more about their wants and needs.

~julie~
P.S. I LOVE these begonias...and I'm REALLY glad you started this thread, datdog!

Hi pugdog. They won't be growing much in the winter so I'm not sure I'd mist it unless your house is really dry.

Thanks as soon as I get this darn computer in the shop and find out why I can receive all the spam in the world, but I can't send any mail with attachments. I tried to send a photos of my plant when I send this, but it wouldn't go. Removed the photo and it went. This Daves Garden is soooo addicting. I get on here with my morning cup of coffee and before long I am thinking about what to have for lunch. But I have learned so much in just the short time I have belonged. There are so many smart gardeners out there. The trouble is I am seeing way to much that I want. Way to much. But wait until spring, will I ever get started, every year since retirement I have made more and more flower beds. My only trouble is there are places if I dig to plant I run into rock. We live on a rock bed. So I am going to alot of pot planting. But I just love it.

This message was edited Oct 5, 2004 12:10 PM

2pugs..."retirement" GREAT! Maybe we can swap notes on what we're up to! My DH and I were "retired" without our permission (:-D) the first of March this year. And I can't say that I've missed that job (only the paycheck...and only *occasionally*) since we closed the doors on that place.

Now I have time to look after ALL the beautiful new things I've planted...AND I have the time to read and study here in DG.

Just imagine...I wouldn't have known about the Escargot (and a LOT of other things!) if I hadn't stumbled on to DG and wonderful, caring and sharing people here.

Thanks, datdog, for the information on the misting. I thought I remembered you (or someone) saying to be careful with the water when growing begonias, but I wasn't sure.

~julie~

I just finished transplanting mine and I could be wrong but it looks like it has already grown a inch. I won't mist it again. Can't wait until next summer to put it out to see if it does as good as datdog Escargot.

I got one in a 4" pot about 1 month ago and I'd swear it has grown already. This plant is so beautiful!!!

Awesome Begonia ! I need to find a plant like yours ! Beautiful :))
Allison

Allison,

The flowers are almost as gorgeous as the leaves. Mine flowered this summer, donning two beautiful pinkish-white petals. This one is one of my favorites too.

GH

Will my Begonia Escargot didn't even make it through the winter. I did buy another Begonia similar to the Escargot this summer and it died also. What in the world am I doing wrong?

2PD...the same thing happened to me with the Escargot begonia. I received beautiful starts then promptly killed them within a couple of weeks. But then, I'm not all that good with begonias anyway. :-(

~julie~