Begonias --the Houseplant Variety

When I looked in my garden books, I didn't find this begonia.  Finally, it occurred to me that it is really a houseplant.

 For at least a dozen years these stayed in my mother's basement or in a corner of her living room. 

They now spend the winter in my basement.  But the best part of the year is when they stay under the maple trees in my yard.  They perk back up after only a few weeks outside.  They escape the invading roots of their shade trees by staying in their pots.  Usually I do a better job of putting pine needles around them.

Begonias

I earlier posted  about what the flower book calls the hardy begonia.

 I considered this name and decided that in my area, this is not a hardy begonia because it dies when the frost comes and reappears in late spring from roots and from the winged seeds which travel around my yard.  It is really more of a perennial.

 It is one of my favorite flowers.  First of all, a bed of these begonias is beautiful, but even more so for the fact that they bloom later in the summer and remain until frost.  Their leaves are accented with red and are appealing even before blooms appear. They may survive some sun, but they really prefer a shady bed.