I mentioned last week that I would write about some of my favorite blooming annual plants to use in planters or gardens, and today I will start with begonias.
Until recent years, varieties of begonias were pretty much plants for shade; however, two of my recommendations for sun or shade are Dragon Wing Begonia and Big Begonia. Both of these are in the “wax leaf” type and will grow well in either sun or shade. In sun, the foliage will develop a glossy brilliant green or a bronzy color, depending on the variety. The Dragon Wing has arching stems and the flowers are pendulous, hanging beneath that stem. The Big Begonia is an upright grower with large flowers produced at the top of each stem. Both bloom continuously all summer. Removing the seed capsules as they develop will keep these plants looking more tidy, but the flowers keep coming even if you don’t do the dead-heading.
My preference for both of these varieties in to use them in planters rather than hanging baskets. The growth just gets too heavy for baskets and with our tendency of frequent spring winds, they often sustain too much damage and consequently lose their shape. Used in a planter, they are well mannered and don’t tend to crowd out their neighbors.
These begonias will grow to 12 inches in height and usually develop several stems per plant, and they are available in pink and red.
This is a plant that does not disappoint and works great for combination pots or specimens by themselves.