and speaking of brevirimosa exotica debate. Look at Mikes exotica 'sport' it's black!!
Lets liven things up a bit, shall we. PART II
Oh my gosh!!! Lali, This black sport of Exotica is simply amazing,
so striking.
Jackie
I know! Wish it were mine. It belongs to Mike Flaherty. He has the most amazing collection both at his home and his shop 'Gazebo Plants and Flowers' in Montecito. But I'm certain that Jooolz wins the prize for most diverse collection. I'll post photos when I can - just swamped this week.
We really had an amazing weekend between the show, private garden tours, nursery hopping and trip to Kartuz Nursery. It was complete begonia overload. Honestly, I got to the point where my brain wouldn't kick in. Good thing I had a camera to take pictures and then pictures of the plant tags or I wouldn't remember a thing.
I shared this with another Daver, this is 'Lota Rosa' (sp?) that I picked up from Mikes shop.
Thanks for the ID Butch. And all the pictures too. I keep seeing ones that I'l like to add to my collection.
Lali, can't wait to see the pics from your trip. You said that you had "Begonia overload". Sounds like a great trip!
I got some more info on the begonia above. It's not 'Lota Rosa' but rather 'Lota Rose'. Mike F. tells me that it is a town in Queensland Australia.
Butch more beauties - Black Falcon - Wow! Our Begonias from Baker's Acres are really taking off and I need to get some new pictures posted here. Expecting alot of rain over the next couple of days, so probably won't get a chance to take any until Sunday.
Question for all of you - we're having the same problem this year that we had last year. A yellowish-green 'ladybug' is infesting some of our Begonias.They chew on the leaves and then they get inside the rhizomes eventually killing the plant. Is this what people call the Asian Ladybug? If so, what is its life cycle and how can we best treat it? So far all we've been able to do is squash the adults.
Thanks, Debbie
Debbie,
Plants make such good photo subjects. They don't move and never object to getting their picture made. Now if the grandchildren were that easy. Sometimes rain (dew, frost, etc.) enhances pictures so maybe you can get some photos between showers. Amazing how begonias pick up steam late summer and early fall.
It sounds like you have squash beetles which chew leaves of the squash plant and are yellowish in color. The Asian ladybug (lady beetle) is more a pest in the home due to their numbers. Reading up on them, they help control aphids and are more reddish orange.
http://www.caes.state.ct.us/plantpesthandbookfiles/pphS/pphsqua.htm
Maybe you could spray with Neem oil (or look at Laurie's post on using Neem powder) which repels insects and I think I read somewhere disrupts their reproductive cycles and is also good as a fungicide. I use it as a fungicide during the fall months but only outdoors (the smell isn't the best).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neem_oil
Butch, thank you! I think that's the critter - although I haven't actually "seen" them yet - my DH is the one who is always on the lookout for them but I'll pass the information along to him and see what he thinks. The Neem oil sounds interesting and I might just have to get some and try it, especially before the big transfer from outside of the Begonias this fall. My DH has been threatening to sell a bunch of the Begonias this fall because they all looked so pathetic after last winter - but I'm holding out, hoping that I can get a better set up for them to overwinter. Of course, there are a "few" more this year than last so I will have my hands full :)
One of the pictures I will have to take and share with all of you is my new cement Begonia leaf! A few friends and I spent last Sunday making concrete Hosta leaves. The day before we had trimmed back a few Begonias and one of the larger Begonia leaves looked like it would make a perfect specimen to try. It took a little more work because I had to spend more time shaping the edges to form the points of the leaf, but all in all it came out pretty good. Now all I have to do is find the right color to paint it. I even inserted a wire hanger on the back so I can hang it on the wall of the house right near all the "real" Begonias on the deck!
Debbie
Debbie,
I know what you mean about a few more additions. Not only the ones you acquire through the year but also the older ones that get bigger and/or divided. And the cycle begins in a few weeks of dragging them back indoors again. Yuk! Then they sulk and so do I (sometimes).
Post some pictures of your cement leaves. Sounds pretty cool. I poured some concrete stepping stones for paths at my old house and pressed some big leaves in a couple of them which came out okay - they just didn't stand out so I had to point out the impressions to visitors.
I never thought of making a concrete leaf although I've seen a few in magazines.
I dragged this unkown begonia out from behind some large pots today just to take a picture. It looks close enough to be 'Madame Queen' but one of the judges at the Miami convention thought it might be 'Muddy Waters' or something else. I think I'll keep it despite having no name.
Butch
Got 3 eBay purchases in today, am very happy with them so I took some shots to share plus some additional ones as I am adding images to my Journal here if anyone is interested. Been working on it for several days now since my back is out and I can't do anything else. (laptop and couch is all I can do, so online shopping is getting dangerous☺) Help...
Soli mutata (don't you love saying that name? sounds Swahilii or something LOL!)
B. Lauderdale Lakes
Should have taken the shot outside, it's so dark it doesn't show the nice subtle markings here.
B. Tangalooma
This one is so cool, each leaf has a different amount of silver markings!
This one is almost completely silver
and the newer leaves have a lot of red
nice sized purchases
This one I got a couple of weeks ago from the same seller. It's my favorite now, it's so beautiful and awesome looking it scares me, I'm afraid of it LOL! Afraid of loosing it!
B. Sir John Falstaff
it's a big plant for mail order standards I thought, the biggest leaf is as big as my hand, the two almost out the image on the right are equally as big.
This is my super easy plant-it-and-forget it B. Essie Hunt. Why can't they all be this easy?!
the leaves are thick and love it's cool red markings.
This was a gift from Kell, (thanks my friend!) B. Paul Hernandez.
At her house the snails found it before she delivered it to me so I had to remove almost all but the tiniest leaves. It's nicely recovered I think and doing well.
This message was edited Sep 14, 2006 12:42 PM
Great buys and I bet I know who you bought them from too. I bought 'Tangalooma' as well a few weeks back off ebay but I think I already had it from an Ace Hardware purchase with no ID in a bigger pot. The colors are wild and very intriguing.
My 'Sir John Falstaff' is finally starting to put out new growth. About time. I got it at the Miami convention back in early March and it just sat throughout the summer months, now it is throwing out some new growth (cooler night temps may have triggered it). I think yours will do well.
Here is the no ID from Ace.
This is B. Rudy's Hybrid from a SF Botanical Garden sale. It had only a couple of top leaves when I got it, it's now filling in with new leaves all along it's single stem.
I think I will like this one much better than luxuerensis based one ease of care considering I lost that one. ☺
Yes Butch, I figured you may know who from, she has such tempting selections. I did get a heads up from Lali on repotting as we have different growing conditions so I have been doing that.
Yes, I do think your Ace find is the same one, looks exactly like mine. It's a beaut!
Here's some new growth on Rudy's Hybrid, (although a bit blurred) it seems to like it here! I am having fun with this new addiction, learning a lot as I go.
This message was edited Sep 14, 2006 12:52 PM
A poor too dark image of B. Boyfriend but I love this new one, also from same seller. The leaves are more succulent type so they did get a bit bruised from shipping but not bad.
It's placed temporarily in the red clay pot that complements it's red center. I need to repot in new soil soon.
Wow Sue, you've been busy! They all look great!
Keep em coming!!!!
My B. 'Boyfriend' doesn't look as nice as yours. Maybe it is too dry since the leaves curl up and spiders have webs on the top. I really should start a new one soon for a bit of insurance.
Nice looking selection you have there.
My U404 has finally started to grow. Again maybe cooler night temps have pushed it.
Here are several begonias grouped together.
Here is an outrageous rex (Tim Andersen said it isn't rex but has rex parentage way back). This is 'Deco Twirl' and the biggest leaves get over 10" across.
This is a sweet heart of a little plant I got from Lali, it bloomed all summer with these tiny little while blossoms, a real cute dark bronzed leafed charmer, I love it!
B. catalina
This message was edited Sep 14, 2006 1:29 PM
Ahhh, that U404 is on my wish list as are several in the Deco series. (I have a LONG list as I come across them online)
This is a blurred image of B. Goshe that Lali picked up for me on her ecent trip to Kartuz's, it is still in a tiny pot and growing so happy, looks like another easy one. Love the red stems.
This message was edited Sep 14, 2006 1:22 PM
Oh that shot was horrible! It's so overcast and humid outside I think I will take them all out for round two of picture taking. That's what digitals are for right?!
And a new leaf on B. thurstonii. Can hardly waiy intil this one gets big and lush, seems to be a good classic must have one to grow.
Laurie, you gave this one to me from Berkeley Hort and I forgot to tag it but I think you said it's Emerald Lacewing.
Sue, that one is b. 'Catalina' (my chicken scratch can be hard to read) LOL. There's another out there that's practically it's twin called 'Concord'
You'll love thurstonii! It is a die hard for me! Alot like your Essie is for you!!
I just turned it to take the shot and discovered this tiny little bloom on it.
Well ya never know with those latin names (and your chicken scratch!) I corrected it.
This one I got a OSH marked as Cleopatra. Does it look right to you? I never trust those labels.
This one is new for me, B. Lubbergei
Laurie, did you ever ID this one you gave me? It's such a cool twisty turning curvy thing, easy to grow so far, just my kind of plant!
Sweet!! I think it may be. But you should label it NOID looks like E.L. just to be safe.
My leaves on mine turned very dark (like the color of 'Black Magic' EE) - I dont believe E.L. does that. So dont hold me to the ID on that one!! =º)
Here's a flower of that one I told you that I love. (and then twisted your arm to buy it!!!)
B. 'Lory Hansen'
It's new leaves start out so dark and then unfurl to leave dark edges.
