Here is my latest - U043. Not a pretty begonia but it has some neat petioles. These are not hairs but rather "scales" according to Charles Jaros.
Cool begonias
B. amphioxus in the foreground and B. variegata (used to be called masoniana maculata) in the background. I thought I lost variegata but left it inside this jar all summer with a lid on it (no watering) and it threw up new leaves starting in fall. It finally got to big to let the lid on.
Two of my winners at the Southeastern Flower Show this past week. B. 'Cachuma' is the big one on the floor (second place) and B. 'Black Coffee' on the table (first place). Okay I didn't grow 'Black Coffee' but I did give a small start of it 2 or 3 years ago to my mother. She has the touch on growing some monsters and I knew it should win something.
B. 308 won first place for container plants at the SFS. It seems to be listed as U309 at several places on the web but a couple of experts said it is U308.
Butch, congratulations on your success at the flower show. Your plants are beautiful and kudos to your mom on her First Place! My mom also has that special touch. She got me started on begonias with leaf cuttings from her old Beefsteak and now I may need rehab.
Beautiful pictures - as always. I love your innovative ideas. What kind of medium did you use in the jar with your variegata?
Thanks for sharing.
Cindy
Cindy,
Where would we be without our mothers and grandmothers when it comes to gardening?
Rehab? Surely you aren't addicted? I'm not addicted - I just like them a lot and can't live without them. At least that is what my brother used to say about Coke.
The potting mix in the cookie jar for the variegata is Miracle Gro and Perlite with a layer of pebbles on the bottom. I added sphagnum moss around the plant to keep humidity up. I have a feeling I may have to move it to a much larger container the way it is going.
Butch, Congrats on the awards. Gorgeous Begonia's.
I see where you acquired your talent for growing beautiful Begonia's.
Was this your first entry in a judged show?
Sweet! Nice work Butch! can you show the leaves of the first one with scales? I have that U308/9 that I got when we were in Florida. Has a PHOE tag. And is marked U309.
Thanks everyone for your encouraging remarks.
Laurie, I got that U308/U309 from my first begonia dig (3 years ago) and it has been up and down over that time. I finally got serious about giving it the respect it deserved. It was labeled 309 as well when I got it plus every picture I've seen on the web has it that way until the couple of experts on the Yahoo group said it was U308.
Here is a picture of the leaves from U043.
I'll mark mine as 308 then - must have missed the yahoo chatter on that one.
I grew mine outside in my greenhouse and it never looked good until I finally took it out of it's pot and soil and put it in a com pot ball terrarium. Now I have several new leaves. In fact all of these leaves are new http://flickr.com/photos/begonias-photos/2235586468/ I removed the oldies.
U043 is pretty cool.
Hey, I want a cool begonia too!
OK Since Lali and Butch did not offer to send me one of all their COOL begonias................ I will just have to post a couple of my own cool begonias. So there!
Recognize this one Lali or Butch? I gave the huge mother away but clipped a leaf as it left me. I just unbagged it.
The baby stems are so red and hairy.
I meant to go back and look at your Lotusland you just posted Butch to compare leaves. I got ths one in a 2 inch pot at one of the LA places. The label left. But I think iti s Lotusland. I just potted it up. And since I did one of the leaves got icky. It was incredibly HUGE in the tiny pot.
I don't recognize the baby rex, Kelly. What is it? I have a feeling it will change quite a bit when it gets bigger. For example, Fireworks looks similar to that when it has young leaves but changes dramatically when it matures.
That last begonia picture looks like it has potential to be a big one. It's hard to guess what a plant is when it has young leaves. Marci and I bought Lotusland and Red Bluff together at The Gazebo. My Lotusland is toast (to my best guessimate) but the Red Bluff is doing pretty good. I got another small Red Bluff at Ades but now that it has put some size on it looks more like Freddie than the Red Bluff I got at Mike's place.
I will have to get a picture of the two RBs together and let you decide.
Here is a young 'Fireworks' leaf.
A mature 'Fireworks'.
Remember the huge one I bought at the big begonia sale at the hotel and I grabbed that big rex? Rex Begonia 'Tornado'
I bought Red Bluff too, small ones. I guess I will have to wait till it grows up a bit.
I saw a Freddie for sale today. I can't remember if I bought one 2 years ago when Lali and I went to LA for Mike's show. I remember I wanted it. I will need to look around. I think I did get it and it was a 5 gallon pot and Lali was not happy because of room in the SUV but I begged. I wonder what I did with it.
Hey Butch, did you notice that only the white dots had a pricker hair growing out of them? So cute.
That is a nice looking begonia, Kelly. Hairy little booger. Why do so many folks eschew the lovely rex?
B. 'Lotusland'
Jooles, are you showing off that magnificent Lotusland? Is that in your yard? If so, send me a piece. (just kidding).
On another note, the Yahoo group sure is quiet today.
I guess I am showing off. It is in my front yard (though it doesn't look like that this time of year). Here is another view with the gorgeous flowers.
jooolster, I'd buy a leaf if you want to try out the new auction site
Butch, Many eschew the lovely Rex because their reputation preceeds them. lol
Same for Rhizo's. I will always prefer the canes for their ease of growth.
But if I had just 1/3rd of your talent for growing the R and R's, I could
branch out somewhat. lol
Great pics Butch, Kell and Julie.
Fancy meeting you here, Jooles!!! Oh to be back in your garden. I must say one of the absolute BEST ones I have ever been in! I am so jealous you can leave yours out like that. This year I had no frost so many would have made it though the heavy rain for days does bring the rot on. I just saw one of your begonia pics in PlantFiles the other day. It was so special!!
Butch, what is that nice green begonia in the upper right corner in Post #4527548
Here is the one I happened upon.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=2182815
It reminded me of Fatsia 'Spider's Web,' a plant Lali and I are forever lusting after.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/179523/
Kelley, I am not sure exactly which begonia you are talking about so I labeled most of them in the picture for you. Hope it helps.
Jooles, you are an enabler. I had to get Bashful Bandit and carolineifolia because of your pictures in the Yahoo group many years ago. Now I want a Lotusland too (one that won't pout and die).
Jackie, I am finding rhizos the easiest to care for now. My canes are still sick looking after the drastic repotting I gave them a few weeks ago. I may have to buy some more canes in Houston. Boohoo.
I do best with rhizomes too. Canes seem to slowly die on me. I bought 2 huge ones in LA and brought them inside for winter and they hate me leaf by dropping leaf.
Butch, let me go look at the hunk Mike gave me. It had lost all its leaves in the hotel room due to the huge shock of having no roots. LOL If there is an extra leaf I will start you one.
OK, here is a so cool one I just bought the other day. The leaves are like elephant ears. I will take a pic from the back tomorrow. I had watered it and I got the leaves wet so I didn't take it today.
PS THANK YOU Butch for labeling that picture. What a guy!
Do you not love hairy fuzz?
Is it B. 'San Miguel' ?
Here's one that was looking halfway decent in the hoop house today. B. manicata 'Crispa'
Kell, that one looks like San Miguel. I had it a couple of times and then lose it over winter. P.S. is there a hairless fuzz? Maybe some peach fuzz, baby fuzz, or an "afternoon shadow" (George Michael comes to mind).
Just beat ya by a sec there Butch. LOL on the GM comment!
Here's one of my new teacher's pets. A Brad Thompson hybrid that I picked up when we were all down at Kartuz. Brad says 'Do you have this one?' and I said I wasn't really buying any more rexies because they're so temperamental and he said 'This one's not a rex' -- so I bought it and it's a real performer for me. It was two or three leaves big when i got it and I've taken several leaves off for rooting.
B. 'Lady Ingeborg'
Lali must have heard us chatting Butch. LOL. So pretty Lali. I have killed more of those than I care to admit to. I am such a sucker for frills!! Wins out over common sense every time.
Mine is Begonia 'Irene Tapia'. Just huge leaves!
Boy, George Michael comes to my mind for other things, LOL!!
Laurie, that is a nice looking rex (well it sure looks rex like). White and silver leaves have such great contrast to dark leaved ones - especially in the dim light of evening.
Raspberry Crush is a beacon among all the darker leafed ones in this picture.
I'll post it to Yahoo and see if Brad will tell who the parents are. He said no rex in the genes but it sure looks like one. BUT does not behave like one.
Irene Tapia huh. Is it from San Marcos?
Everyone looks so healthy in that shot! Love them all!
I haven't had time for mine to look bad. LOL.
Did you just Google it? LOL. Yes, San Marcos and yes, 'Irene Tapia'.
no, I just know they are the only one carrying that hybrid.
Hairs on the leaf edge of B. sizemorea
What a hairy begonia - I like it that way.
Cane seedling are coming up in several pots now - here is some in a pot of fuscomaculata.
