The Begonia Home Page

Begonias - nothing beats begonias for adding a mass of color in those hard to brighten shady spots. Begonias produce an abundance of big beautiful, perfectly-formed blooms all summer long. Great for adding lots of color to your patio and decks. Begonias are easy to grow in containers and baskets. A definite must for every gardener. In cold areas, start the tubers indoors about 6 weeks before you anticipate the last frost. Plant the tuber in potting soil, round side down, about 1" below the surface. Water well and then keep the soil moist but not soggy. Keep in a warm, semi-shady area. When all danger of frost has passed, transplant outdoors being careful not to disturb the roots.

In the garden, begonias need rich, porous, well-drained soil and shelter from wind. Space 12" apart in shade or partial shade. Keep the soil evenly moist and fertilize at least once a month. Tuberous begonias should be dug and immediately given a bath after they are lifted. They should be stored over the winter in shallow, open trays. If there may be mice or other rodents, place a wire covering over the open trays. Hardy in Zone 10.

Some of our Favorite Begonias:

Picotee Begonia Mix

Dutch bulb experts have selected this carefree Picotee Begonia Mix especially for its versatility and uncommon colours and textures. Our Picotee Begonias will captivate you with enormous camellia-like flowers, up to 6" across, boasting heavily ruffled petals - not the typical serrated edges found with common varieties. Plant these shade-loving Begonias 10-12" apart in full to partial shade and moist soil, and they'll flourish without a lot of pampering. Old blooms drop off as new ones appear, so you don't have to worry about pruning! Lift in fall. (buy)

Cascade Begonia Pastel Mixture

A gorgeous mixture of beloved Cascade Begonias in the most beautiful pastel tones available. Perfect for patio containers or hanging baskets. Will flower freely all summer until the first frost with minimum care. All they need is shade or filtered sunlight and an evenly moist soil to reward you with lavish blooms and breathtaking colours. Plant 10-12" apart if planted in the garden. Use three tubers per 10-12" hanging basket. In areas with frost, store tubers indoors during the winter. 5-6 cm tubers. (buy)

Non-Stop Begonias (Orange)

This unique variety of Non-Stop Begonias will assure you a continuous parade of gorgeous sparkling colour for your garden and planters all summer long right up to the frosts of fall. They're so easy to plant and grow. You'll love these Begonias for planting in those shady areas around your home where it's difficult to get anything to grow. Excellent for borders, rock gardens or window boxes, and an outstanding addition for containers on your deck, porch, patio or at your doorstep. Add their brilliant colours to any spot where you'll see their special beauty. Multifloral, multistemmed plants with three 3" blooms on each stem. Enjoy a spectacular colour burst of pink, yellow, orange and red. Chose each variety individually, or select the complete Begonia Collection for extra savings. Breck's experts have selected the finest tubers from Holland's leading growers for guaranteed growth and blooming in American gardens. Plant 10-12" apart in the garden, 4-6" apart in containers. Grows 6-8" tall. Lift in fall. 5-6 cm tubers. (buy)

Quick Begonia Fact:

Begonia is a large genus of succulent herbs or undershrubs in the family Begoniaceae, with about 900 species in tropical moist climates, in South and Central America, Africa and southern Asia. Many are tuberous. The flowers are usually showy and large, white, pink, scarlet or yellow in colour; they are unisexual, the male containing numerous stamens, the female having a large inferior ovary and two to four branched or twisted stigmas. The fruit is a winged capsule containing numerous minute seeds. The leaves, which are often large and variegated, are unequal-sided.

The genus is named after Michel Begon, a French patron of botany.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Begoniaceae
Genus: Begonia

Begonia Cultivation:

Many of the species are grown in cultivation, and innumerable hybrids and cultivars. Cuttings from flowering begonias root freely in sandy soil, if placed in heat at any season when moderately firm; as soon as rooted, they should be potted singly into 75 mm pots, in sandy loam mixed with leaf-mould and sand. They should be stopped to keep them bushy, placed in a light situation, and thinly shaded in the middle of very bright days. In a few weeks they will require another shift. They should not be overpotted, but instead assisted by manure water. The pots should be placed in a light pit near the roof glass. The summer-flowering kinds will soon begin blooming, but the autumn and winter flowering sorts should be kept growing on in a temperature of from 12° C to 16° C by night, with a few degrees more in the day. The tuberous rooted sorts require to be kept at rest in winter, in a medium temperature, almost but not quite dry. In late winter they should be potted in a compost of sandy loam and leaf-mould, and placed in a temperate pit until late spring or early summer, when they may be moved to the greenhouse for flowering. If they afterwards get at all pot-bound, weak manure should be applied. After blooming, the supply of water must be again slackened; in winter the plants should be stored in a dry place secure from frost; they are increased by late summer and autumn cuttings, after being partially cut down.