The best laid plans, Part 2

Here is another chapter in the chronicles of why my garden planning seldom works. This beautiful hanging begonia was advertised as pink. OK. Whatever. Admittedly the picture showed dark pink in the catalogue, but I wasn't expecting a vibrant coral red. Not that I dislike the colour, but it's rather overwhelming the apple-blossom pink wax begonias on the ground beneath it.

Hanging begonias - Begonia pendula - are, as far as I can tell, just tuberous begonias with a cascading habit. I am open to correction from any avid begonians.

As such, it is a good idea to pinch off the smaller, female flowers (the one I am holding in the picture) to allow the showy male flowers to grow larger. It should probably be done before they get this large, mind you. It's probably a little too late to make any difference for the ones in the picture. In my defense, I pinched off a lot of smaller ones at the same time.

When the first frost has damaged the leaves, I'll be bringing all my tuberous begonias in for the winter. I don't have a good cool, dark place to store them, but I can guarantee you it won't be the warm furnace/laundry room again! Don't ask.

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