Well, Orange Boy's butt isn't quite as big as it looks. He has a lot of fur. :-}
The begonia convetions are held at different times of the year depending on which branches are putting it on and what is the best time for their begonias. 2006 Miami in March, 2005 Dallas in May, 2004 San Diego in August, 2003 April in Oklahoma. Here's a shot of a winning B. roxburghii taken at the 2003 convention.
And there are many, many ways to get your plants home. Some people take an extra suitcase to fill with plants. I asked Tim Anderson, the man in charge, to see about arranging UPS shipments for us. We'll see what happens, but I've done that myself at other conventions. I actually shipped my clothes home since it takes longer and put the begonias in my suitcase.
There will be lots of people to give you packing tips too. Some people take them out of the pots, put them in baggies and wrap with newspaper. Some just wrap the pots up in newspaper. You can get a lot more begonias in your suitcase without the pots. I suggest bringing scissors, tape, baggies of some sort (I use the ones the newspaper comes in to enclose the whole plant). You can save the newspapers each day at the convention, assuming they leave us one, so you'll have plenty for packing.
Oh, and the last day if there are plants left, they often have a half-price sale. That's where I get in trouble. But I've always found that no matter how tight I pack them and how much my bags may be thrown around, the lovely begonias always arrive home in good condition!
