I'm new to all of this. I had some of the walmart specials in this bed last year. I purchased some tubers online and planted them in the same bed. To my surprise, last years came back and had multiplied and the new ones grew as well. Consistant as I am, I placed them practically in the same spot as last year. Do these need to be seperated for their own good? I really like the large ones, compared to the walmart standard.
other side
and one more view. I think I need to spread them out, but I really don't even have anywhere to put them. My only options would be to move them closer to others...
Beautiful plants Deb nice growing ! Love your garden. I now have several Begonias growing in our shade garden. Mu hubby takes care of them. But they grow like weeds and so Happy we just let them do as they please. It's fun growing thme !
Those beds are going to be just gorgeous when they fillout. I think those are 2 different kinds. Maybe if you moved the tuber ones to ring the other ones on the outside it would look bettter. But I would leave them this year but mark them to move early next spring when you can just dig the tubers.
We need pics as they fill out!!!
really? I thought that they were in trouble. I'll take a picture of the bed as a whole today. I was sending the day lilies to others who like them and thought that is would give me more room to space out the begonias. I'll also post some pics of the begonias I have coming up in my hosta bed. The larger type are the tuberous ones, right? I was going to lift them for the winter, to be safe and since I planned to reorginize them for next year. Better to leave in the beds and do the reorginizing in the spring?
Sorry for so many questions, but any advise you give me will be soaked up and not waisted!! :-)
They all look pretty good to me! You do have two types, as Kell said, the larger are tuberous, the smaller are b. semperflorens (aka Wax begonias or Fibrous begonias - common names)
The great thing about semps is that they can take the gamut of conditions. I've seen them in FULL hot 110º sun, with almost no humidity and they seem to be loving it, down to some that I keep in deep shade that seem to appreciate that as well. Here on the left coast - with hot dry crisp days, they do best with a little reprieve from the sun. I have one that I have had in a vintage clay pot that has been there for over a year. It's about 2' tall now. (variety 'Linda') I pulled it in the greenhouse for the winter and it never did stop blooming. So they are pretty resilient. But despite their tough nature, I would agree with Kell to wait to move them. At least here, they would pout and protest the move in the heat.
For the Tuberous, you done good girl, just lift them in the late fall and keep them dry until you see sprouts again next spring - sounds like that's what you did. You may want to move them behind the semps so you have the height in the back, with the lower semps in the front. (but that's purely aesthetic preference)
Thank you! This is the first year of the tuberous begonias. I did not know they would get so big! I definately have a preference for their larger more colorful blooms. I like the idea of the height in back. I was thinking of taking the tuberous begonias out of my hosta bed and next year have this entire bed nothing but the tuberous. They seem to get so large and all together there are 7 or 8.
A better view of the begonias.
You sure have beautiful garden beds and plants Deb !
That is just great looking!! I just leave mine in the ground but Lali knows best. And if you dig them when the season is done you sure will know just where they are.
Good point Kell, we get down to the low 20's so we have to lift all tender bulbs. Not sure about the temps in Birmingham.
I'm confused. I thought zones where identified by the lowest temperature typically seen in winter. We rarely get below 30 F here. I pulled up a zone map and see how much of the cascades are in 9A, and I remember how cold it gets here (I recall skiing to the bus stop as a kid). What is the deciding factor to determine a zone? And, does this mean that I can send my gramma some of my oak leaf hydrangaes? :-)
dont know weather I can answer that or not LOL, but I know that we have 'micro-climates' within our zone 9a. The town to the south of us is also 9a, and they can grow tropicals and citrus, but here, just 7 miles away, I have to protect all of my tender perennials, tropicals and citrus in my greenhouse (including all but one begonia that lives on the front porch and is protected by the over hang) So I'm no expert on the zone thing, but we do get colder than the rest of the town. We're up against a hill on the valley floor and in the winter the last sun I see is at 2:30 or 3 o'clock so it cools down very quick in the winter. I think I like the Sunset zone map better than the USDA. We're 14 according to that zone which is more detailed. http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/article/1,20633,845218,00.html
Oak leaf hydrangea does well here as do just about all hydrangea as far as I know.
maybe there is a forum regarding zone info?
We are 14 too by Sunset Lali and we are much warmer than you in the winter and cooler in the summer. Signficantly I might add. Today you were 110 and we were 84 degrees. I guess Sunset is kind of gerneral.
Here's what Sunset says [quote
ZONE 14. Inland Northern and Central California with Some Ocean Influence
Growing season: early Mar. to mid-Nov., with rain coming in the remaining months. Periodic intrusions of marine air temper summer heat and winter cold (lows run from 26 degrees to 16 degrees F/-3 degrees to -9 degrees C). Mediterranean-climate plants are at home here.[/quote]
BUT they dont say what the summer highs are. Sacramento is included in this zone and you know what an oven it is in the summer. We're much the same. But again, I'm in a little micro climate here so I have extremes with in that range. Do you get as low at 26 or 16?
Only in the one in 20 year freezes we get. Our lows are usually 32 and then only for a few hours. I do not think we have ever gotten to 90.
Kell, according to my Sunset book, on the map you are a Zone 17.
I think we both fit within these two:
Zone 16. Zone 16 is considered by many to be one of the finest gardening climates in California. It includes thermal belts, which means it gets more heat than areas right next to the coast (Zone 17), but warmer winters than those in Zone 15. It can grow more subtropicals than 15 with less danger of winter frost. It includes areas around the greater San Francisco Bay Area, and portions near the coast south to Santa Maria.
Zone 17. Zone 17 is fog country. It’s of this zone that someone (not Mark Twain) said that the coldest winter he ever experienced was a summer in San Francisco. In its cool, moist air, fuchsias, brussels sprouts, and artichokes thrive. There’s rarely any freezing weather in the winter, and summer temperatures mainly stay in the 65–70°F range. In addition to the San Francisco and Monterey bays, this zone extends in a very narrow band up the coast to Crescent City and south to Santa Maria.
This message was edited Jul 19, 2006 11:15 PM
So that makes you all what, 16 and a half? LOL. I think Cali has so many micro climates within small areas that it's tough to pin us down.
I know a place that I can almost see from here it's that close that is a complete banana belt. Citrus groves, Avacado, extended growing season etc.
I always thought Mark Twain said that. Then I read that it 'was the coolest thing Mark Twain Never said!'
But it is true. Some wednesdays when I leave for SFO, it's starting to bake up here and I end up with my jacket on at the greenhouses! (all day long, like it never warms up!)
I am a bit warmer than than fog country Sue. I was going by the map Lali had online. i wish they had a zip code place to enter yours and up would come your zone.
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/article/0,20633,845238,00.html
I guess we are 16.5 Lali. LOL. We are on the bay so maybe that makes a difference.
Ok, repeat question, but couldn't find the answer--bought some begonia bulbs (corms?) 75% off. Have never grown the plants from bulb before--does the indented side go up, or the smooth rounded side? Thanks
yotedog,
The indented side goes up. Barely cover the top or not at all until growth starts. They are tubers (tuberous begonias).
