Stopped at the local Ace hardware this morning and there they were - a shipment of rexes. Inexpensive with a 20% discount on top of that so how could I resist. Five small ones and one extra large one for less than $24.
Group picture:
rexes, anyone?
The large one:
I'm curious if these are grown by the mysterious Harmony growers?
The 5 small ones:
Major Ace Hardware Envy! Nice ones!
Wow ! What a score. They are so beautiful.
Patti
What a lucky find! I love the one with red foliage.
Wow !! that is fantastic, I believe I already have those. I couldn't resist this morning and ordered myself two of the B. escargots. I have been looking locally for several years and had never seen one in a store. Last year I ordered one off ebay and got this tiny plant in a 2" pot that didn't live for two weeks, so I am hoping for better luck this time. I just love the begonia's as a folidge plant.
These are unique and very beautiful.
Kaleem
I just love the dark red one! I need it. LOL
I went running around to all the stores around here Target.WW.Lowes, HD. and finally to Ace hardware and no rex or cane begonias here in SE Houston. If someone finds them some let me know.
Patti
Patti,
Same here...no begonias to be found. I asked at Lowes back in January when they might expect a shipment of rexes and was told no sooner than the end of March, if then. : (
Shirley,
I even called my best friend in GA to check around there. If she finds any for me I will let you know. :O)
Patti
I LOVE rex begonias. Who cares about flowers on these babies? But finding them is work. I accidentally came across some at Home Depot (I think they were from Exotic Angels) and dragged all four of them home. One looks amazingly like "Escargot" but at HD? I'm now in the process of trying the "slice and dice" method of propagation. So far the cuttings still look healthy, but know knows? I think 95% of successful plant growing is experimentation? If I'm right I may have some to share. All I'll need to learn is how to ship them and have them show up healthy. Maybe we could trade?
Recent purchases on eBay - this is 'Flippant'
'Casey Corwin'
'Merry Christmas'
Your new purchases are excellent. Flippant is looking very unique and Merry Chritmas is so pretty....very similar to coleus leaves.
Kaleem
WOW! Those are so pretty. Love the ones from Ace Hardware - I'll be checking around here now, and your e-bay purchases are awesome, especially Flippant. Congratulations.
Sharon
Thanks for the comments. I think the all red one is 'Venetian Red' and the red one with black running down the veins is 'Red Robin'.
Some more from eBay recently
'Stained Glass'
'Sherry'
'Queen Olympus'
'Simple Simon'
'Lady Helene Jaros'
'Flamingo Soul' with some leaf damage.
'Dale Sena'
'Red Robin' from Ace
'Blue Boy' from Ace
'Purple Snow' from this summer (2 years old)
They are lovely plants!
hcmcdole, what a find at Ace of all places! Your ebay purchases are beautiful as well - do you have a link for the ebay seller? I'd love to check them out, especially after seeing the tag on 'Flamingo Soul' - looks like this seller might have some other Harmony Farm beauties I'd like to get my hands on.
rcn48,
Aurika is one who lists frequently on eBay:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZaurikabQQhtZ-1
Then PJ's Violets is another one: Make sure you bid on several since shipping is high for the first item and is much smaller for each additional one.
http://stores.ebay.com/PJs-PLANTS-AND-THINGS
Hcmcdole,
Your Begonias are gorgeous. Thanks for the wonderful pictures.
Patti
Patti,
Thanks for the comments. Rexes are harder to keep than some other types but they do have a good splash of color.
Here is 'Mr. Kartuz' in bloom.
A basketful of rexes taken last year. Florist oasis was put in the bottom to elevate a lot of the smaller pots.
Cobalt blue pot with a mix of rexes.
Hcmcdole,
Thank you so very much for sharing your pictures. They are beautiful.
Patti
hcmcdole: I love your basket of begonias and I'm going to copy your idea for my deck garden. Also, if we are going to have a bad rain storm, so easy to just bring the basket for the duration. I'm buying plants--have started on hostas and gotten some seeds for herbs and begonias are next. Have no idea of design. I am just buying what catches my eye, and the other eye is on my checking account. Probably not a very strategic way to go about creating my first outside container garden but it sure is fun. Indy
hcmcdole, thanks for the links! have already checked them out and adding to my favorites :) fantastic pictures, and I agree, love that basket idea. Looks exactly like a basket I've been holding on to for years - never knew what I wanted to do with it, just didn't want to throw it away - now maybe it will be a home for a few nice specimens this summer!
The nice thing about a basket or large bowl is you don't have to fill them with soil, just fill them with plants in their containers. The bad thing is you should remove each pot to water when it needs it which is a bit of a hassle.
If you do plant different begonias together make sure they have similar growth patterns. A large begonia will shade out smaller ones. Here is a thug of a begonia - don't know what it is but it was suppose to be crassicaulis. I originally planted it with about 7 different begonias but lost some and dug the others out to save them.
Here it is after a year or so. 'Reddington Shores' was still hanging in there at this point but it disappeared as well.
