How to Pick Begonia Bulbs

Hi I am Yolanda Vanveen on behalf of Expert Village. Begonias are a bulb that most people remember from their grandma's house. They have been around for years and they are most common for shade gardens or hanging baskets. They are just an easy, easy plant to grow once you get the hang of it. They are originally from Mexico so they are from the warm climate but they can still handle quite a bit of cold. They do not want to freeze altogether so I have lost them but yet even in the Pacific Northwest sometimes I have put them along the eves and sometimes from five to seven years they have come back. They are really pretty plants. The most fascinating begonia that we carry is the daffodil samon begonia. The reason it is fascinating is because it is a cross between a begonia and a daffodil. Now genetically I do not know what is up with that, one is a shade plant and blooms in summer, and one is a sun plant that blooms in the spring so genetically they have been able to mix the two and now they call it a narcissa flora begonia. So it grows like a begonia with a daffodil shaped flower on it with a beautiful coral color. They are just really easy to grow. You can put them in a hanging basket or put them right in a basket in the shade. I love the peekatee lace begonia. They have got red, oranges, creams, colors and then they will have a little bit of a white edge so it is really lots of impact when you see them in the yard. I have also seen varieties that have white with a red edge so when they are growing in your shade only plant them a couple of inches deep and everyone will enjoy them for years and talk about how beautiful they are. People recognize the hanging basket begonias. They come in reds, corals, pinks, yellows, you name it and you can put them in a hanging basket and they will actually cascade off of the hanging basket. As long as they are in the shade and you keep them watered pretty well they will grow. The bulbs are just a small bulb and they will have little points on the top of them that growth comes out of. They are really really easy to grow. You don't plant them too deep, only one or two inches and you don't leave them too wet at any one time because if they are in a bog of water you will lose them but outside of that I think begonias are really worth the effort. If we have a really bad winter, sometimes I have lost one outside and sometimes I don't. I have left them for three or four years and made it. It is just a beautiful summer plant. We will continue on with our talk of summer flowers and talk about my favorite, lilies.