Bringing Begonias Back To Life!

Nonstop Tuberous Begonias are an amazing garden flower. They bloom continuously from June to October, prolifically. Pinch of dying blooms daily and you'll be rewarded with even more flowers! They come in lovely shades of scarlet, all shades of pink, a dazzling orange and sunny bright yellow.

Here are a few of mine from last year that I planted along my walkway~

They cost about $5 at the garden store, but since they are a tuber, you can dig them out in fall, and winter them in a dark cool, dry place (much the same way you winter bulbs). I've done this a few years in a row, and so far have had a 70% success rate. Frankly, I'm always impressed that any come back, given that they look like little pucks of dry earth when I bring them out of hibernation.

Here is a tray of them that I've just brought up. I spray a little water every day on the nub of the stem from last year. You can see the little rose coloured bud on one of them already!

When they've developed a few leaves I'll replant them in small containers and continue to have them indoors under grow lights until there's no risk of frost, and I can plant them outdoors for summer.

While the overwintered begonias are slower to start, in general I find them heartier than the ones I've bought just that year - darker leaves, bigger flowers!

It's a little bit of work but well worth the effort. I have dozens of begonias along my border so I've saved quite a bit of money over the past few years doing this as well.

Happy Gardening to you all!