July 11, 2008
I HAVE SO MANY BEGONIAS IN MY CARE OVER HERE, I could probably do a ‘Begonia of the Week’ series all gardening season long. I’ve already raved about ‘Bonfire,’ and now I have to say I love the older but no less showy ‘Dragon Wing.’ Apparently I am not alone.
When it first came into mass production less than 10 years ago, I was working at Martha Stewart Living, and the folks at Ball Horticultural who were touting the plant to wholesalers and the press send me some babies to try. Baby they did not remain for very long, since ‘Dragon Wing’ is a lusty creature: One plant will easily fill a 10-inch pot all by itself, and gets to about 2 feet tall. It grows in semi-shade or even pretty substantial sun in my experience, and wants regular watering (but never to be sodden) and a dose of fish-emulsion and seaweed solution pretty regularly. A hungry thing.
‘Dragon Wing,’ which also comes in a pink-flowered form, blooms and blooms all season, with pendulous trusses of hot-red blossoms. When it came on the market, cooperative extension agents from many of the Southern states raved about it for its heat tolerance and adaptability, too, from Arkansas to Georgia and elsewhere.
Apparently I can cut it back and grow it like a houseplant over the winter, I’ve read…if I can find room for one more begonia inside in winter, that is, particularly one more of this massive scale. Have you grown it, and if so in what kind of situation: beds, pots, hanging baskets? If not, what’s your vote for “Begonia of the Week”?
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Who's Gardening Here?
from martha to just margaret
I was so blessed to visit and document many of the nation’s finest homemade gardens for 15 years for ‘Martha Stewart Living,’ first as its garden editor and then as editorial director for the company. The list of places we were proud to publish included my own upstate New York home a few years back. Take a tour of how it looked then. Want to know more about me? Or read what Anne Raver said in June in The New York Times, calling A Way to Garden “the best (garden blog) I’d ever seen.” Adrian Higgins of The Washington Post was similarly kind. And so was Martha, on her TV show.
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Why Do You Garden?
One of the most popular questions at A Way to Garden: Why do you garden? A bunch of us answered in a stream of comments, and there's great other stuff on the Forums. Just in case you'd like to tell us why, too (or have a good read about what makes the rest of us tick).
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December Garden Chores
All based on my Zone 5B Berkshire/Hudson Valley location; adjust accordingly.
THE PAUSE THAT REFRESHES: Gardeners, like their gardens, benefit from a bit of dormancy, and the time is upon us. Enjoy it. Seed-catalog season gets going in earnest later in the month, so early December is prime time to inventory leftover seeds and store them in a cool, dry place. A friend stashes his in the fridge, first sealing in zipper bags with the air squeezed out, then placing the bags in a sealed plastic box rather than have strays get lost among the yogurt and mayonnaise.
Toss those more than a few years old and make a list of what you’ll need. Not that any act of self-control stops me from ordering yet another gourd or pumpkin variety, or some oddity I simply must have or perish. My list of favoirite sources is in the right-hand sidebar of every page here.
Position your seed-shopping easy chair to point out the window, where there are still riches: berries, bark, new birds. Did you join Project Feederwatch yet?
Mole patrol continues: I am still setting out mousetraps under boxes, buckets or cans in the gardens where I see any activity, to rid them from my beds and borders.
HOUSEPLANTS
KEEP AN EYE OUT for signs of houseplant pests like spider mites, mealybugs, and scale insects. If tackled before they get out of hand, nonchemical methods are usually successful: a simple shower, insecticidal soap spray (as directed on label) or with the most tenacious (like mealybugs) sometimes an alcohol swab and Q-tip. Overwatering is the biggest risk to houseplants in winter…go easy.
START A POT OF PAPERWHITES in potting soil or pebbles and water, and stagger forcing of another batch every couple of weeks for a winterlong display.
WAKE UP WELL-RESTED amaryllis bulbs by watering once, placing in a bright spot, and waiting for them to respond. If no dice in a couple of weeks, water again…but don’t repeatedly water an unresponsive bulb or it may rot. It will tell you when it’s ready for action.
TREES & SHRUBS
CLEAR TURF OR WEEDS from the area right around the trunks of fruit trees and ornamentals to reduce winter damage by rodents. Hardware cloth collars should be in place year-round as well.
BE EXTRA-VIGILANT cleaning up under fruit trees, as fallen fruit and foliage allowed to overwinter invites added troubles next season.
ALWAYS BE on the lookout for dead, damaged, diseased wood in trees and shrubs and prune them out as discovered. This is especially important before winter arrives with its harsher weather, where weaknesses left in place invite tearing and unnecessary extra damage. Remove suckers and water sprouts, too.
VEGETABLE, FRUIT & HERBS
FLOWER GARDEN
PROTECT ROSES FROM WINTER damage by mounding up their crowns with a 6- to 12-inch layer of soil before the ground freezes. After all is frozen, add a layer of leaf mulch to further insulate.
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Brief but Juicy
ultimate garden no-no’s
WHEN SOMEONE ASKED in a comment about my point of view on using landscape fabric, the fuse was quickly lit: NO! I said. NO! I’ve rounded up some no-no’s we’ve posted collectively so far, but I bet by now there are a few more things to bitch about. Grab a lawn chair and a cold drink, and we can fester together. Sure beats weeding (which ought to be a garden no-no).
lose anything lately?
THE SAYING GOES THAT a thing of beauty is a joy forever. I guess “forever” in this case is in the mind’s eye. My darling, oldest bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) went down for the count in July, or at least half of it did, and I had already seen the death knell for a couple of my 10 crabapples. Jeez.
true love, really
LOOK, I HAVE A THING for frogs. Call it my little fetish. An issue. Whatever. My general obsession notwithstanding, I’ve finally met THE ONE FOR ME.
hail the stewartia
I LIKE PLANTS THAT EARN THEIR KEEP. By that I mean they do more than a week or two of showing off; they look good in more than a single moment, or season. The small-ish to medium trees in the genus Stewartia are a good bet if that’s the kind of multi-season interest you are looking for. Sound good?
more, more, more clematis
WHEN I SEE ‘POLISH SPIRIT’ CLAMBERING up and through the golden Chamaecyparis in late spring-into-summer, I realize I have a serious Clematis shortage around here. Not in the Chamaecyparis, specifically, but in lots of other places where things look a little dull. I’ve got a penchant for growing vines up and over otherwise-dull shrubbery, you see.
can-do pruning
REPEAT AFTER ME: I can prune. I can prune. If you follow this simple method for starters, your woody plants will thank you.
the ‘other’ peonies
JUNE WAS PEONY TIME, the big raucous kind of peony time, but just before that another kind of peony you might want to consider adopting did its subtler, wonderful thing.
which lilac to plant?
SO MANY LILACS, so little space. Browse a glossary of some of my favorites before you shop—maybe you’ll like them, too.
non-blooming peonies?
Did your peonies not cooperate—was there not a good crop of flower buds, and you don’t know why? This came up on the Forums, and here’s the dish.
twist-off ticks
I AM COMING IN everyday with at least a tick or two on me; not embedded, thankfully, so far, but it's only a matter of time. But I am prepared. Are you?
anything but forsythia
I guess I have a thing against forsythia…even though I have several specimens of it along the fringes of my property. But there are better choices for spring color among shrubs.
surprise (avian) visitors
If you make a garden for birds, or even plant a crabapple or two (or ten), you never know who’ll show up.
magnolias to love
THEY’RE MEMORIES NOW but I couldn't garden without magnolias. Want to know more about the queen of the spring-blooming trees?
order in the garden
I AM LABELING my plants, I am. As memory fades, out comes the label machine, just in the nick. Saved by the Dymo. You can be, too.
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I love the “pendulous trusses of hot-red blossoms.” Lusty indeed! And it’s great to hear that they can be wintered indoors.
I’ve always had at least one begonia inside with me on cold days.
I’ve been enamoured of Flutterbye Salmon in the past. It’s my pick today!
-Andrew
I have not grown this begonia before but I did just pick one up at one of the garden centers. It had so many flowers on it with that glossy foliage I just couldn’t resist!
Love only the tuberous. Yes, I know I am in the tiny minority!
That is one gorgeous begonia! I have several begonias (names unknown) that spend the winter in our chilly south facing breezeway. They’ve never been bothered by insects and some of them bloom all winter. They go back outside for the summer on our shady north side. I’ve tried to propagate them with stem and leaf cuttings but haven’t had any luck.
I grow all my Begonias outside. I have some with flecked leaves and red flowers grow to about 50 cm high, flower profusely all year round, have to be pruned otherwise they grow a bit leggy. My best loved one is the Angel wing it grows tall to 1.2m with pendoulous flowers. It comes in lots of different colours. The most beautiful is the white one because it contrasts well with the leaves. Could the dragon wing be a hybrid of the Angelwing?
I love begonias also and have a number of all different kinds. I do have a couple of Dragon Wings near my front door because they are so bright and do well in the shade (and almost thrive on neglect). They’ve got my vote!
Begonias the indestructible soldier of the garden!!!!
Okay- I have some nice potted begonias that I have kept for years as corms and repeat potting summer after summer, names long lost- Question- I have great flowers that seem to purposefully hide under the great foilage. Is it encouraged to cut back some of the leaves to see the blossom???
I planted about 35 red Dragon Wings (got ‘em cheap!) in my brand new shady garden this year because I couldn’t afford all the perennials and shrubs I really and truly want. Besides, sometimes I like to live with a new garden for a season — plant it up with nothing but annuals in its first year– and get used to its shape and size and general presence before I plant more serious and permanent things.
The plants are tough as nails, full steam, loaded with blossoms. Begonias remind me of my aunt’s garden in Laurens, South Carolina. I wish I could grow her old “hardy” Begonia grandis.
Hey, do you know that major rose grower in Laurens?
Bye-bye.
All good picks, and I especially liked Jane E-P’s “confession” about tuberous. I eye them each spring at the garden center, their funny cup-shaped tubers…and the fantastic flowers on some of them, wow! But I can never figure out what to do with them in the garden, where they “fit.”
@Titania: Originally, apparently it was said to be a cross between the familiar wax begonia and and angel wing, then apparently that was amended to say wax plus a close relative of angel wing…even Pan Am Seed, involved in bringing it to market, doesn’t clarify on their grower website.
@Terri: I don’t think they will look good cut back. If the habit is that the flowers are somewhat hidden, I think that’s just a characteristic of the kind you’re growing, and maybe look for another next time that’s more of a show-off.
@Dean: What? 35? The National Collection of ‘Dragon Wing’! Wow. As for the rose place, I have never purchased from them (Roses Unlimited, it’s called, I think?). You?
I know this has nada to do with Begonias but just have to share with my blog buddies the absolute best black currant jam recipe- pick them if you can or buy them at any cost as they are sooo good. Married to an Englishman, I am converted to soft fruit preserving. This is my 95 year old friend Mary’s recipe and it works like a charm.
4 cups black currants in stock pot
Add 2 cups boiling water
Bring to boil
Add 6 cups sugar
bring to boil and continue on the boil for only 5 minutes
Pour into sterilized glass jars and seal
No pectin required and it is stupendous.
I realize I digress but when it’s something this good I gotta share it.
Please pull this Margaret, if it is too far removed from our “way to garden” theme!
We are trying to live the 100 mile diet here so need to put lots of stuff down for the colder months.
Thanks, Terri. I think it should be posted in the Forums as a topic called Jam Recipe or something, too, for people to share. I don’t know where to get black currants…hmmm….I grow elderberries for making jam, but black currants I don’t have. :(
I like to use the flowers of Dragon Wing to perk up my salads. The color brightens a salad nicely and the flavor is nice and tart.
Welcome, Kathleen. I didn’t even know begonia flowers were edible! A complicated topic we used to get a lot of questions about at Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Weddings.
I received two different begonias as trial plants and I seem to have killed them both. Your comment “wants regular watering (but never to be sodden)” is probably where I failed. Underwatered and then overwatered.
I love tuberous begonias! This year I found them in shades of apricot, peach and orange. The strange thing is that these tuberous are not bushing out and up as in the past. They are bushing out and over the sides of the containers. No matter, the male/female flowers intrigue me as does their rose-like beauty.
Regarding Roses Unlimited: No, I’ve never bought plants from them but I hear great things about their “own root” roses. I keep wanting to do a story on them.
I am using the red Dragon Wing begonia in pots on my shady patio this summer and I’m loving them. I have them potted with tall upright fuchsias ‘Thalia’, with a coleus stuck in and the chartreuse ipomoea spilling out. The Dragon Wing is the middle level. ‘Thalia’ is not quite the right red, but it’s close. The pots look great.
What other combinations are people using with their Dragon Wings this summer?
Welcome, Nancy. I have used them at the “feet” of really big things, from cannas to topiaries, in barrel-sized pots, but for now they’re solo. Great question…let’s see who bites.
Diana asks about propagating begonias. I do it all the time with wax and angelwings. I end up with many more than I need and give lots away, since I’m always whacking at my four or five existing monster pot plants to keep them from taking over the patio.
Cut a stem with a couple of leaf nodes below the top leaf. Pinch off the two sets of bottom leaves, being sure to expose the axial meristem — that’s the “armpit” tissue on the stem where the leaf connects. (Meristem tissue, just like the stem cells you hear about on the news, can differentiate into any kind of plant structure, in this case, roots.) Pinch out all the flower panicles, including the one at the tip of the shoot.
I don’t use rooting hormone; they root well with no help.
Firm the cutting into a damp, moisture-retentive potting medium and water it in well. Keep it in a warm, shady, not-drafty place and make sure it stays damp all the time, or at least doesn’t get bone-dry.
At 70 degrees, you should have some roots in 2-3 weeks — faster if it’s warmer.
I sometimes just throw some cuttings in when I’m potting up something else. The begonias do their thing without much help from me!
@Leigh: You make it sound like a begonia factory over there. I’m sure many of us would like to stop by for a hand-me-down or two… :)
I love this begonia. It comes true from seed. I overwinter it in my greenhouse in Columbia County, NYS, not far from where you are, and it keeps blooming non stop all winter long, its red is not as strong during those months. It’s easy to propagate through cuttings too, some bottom heat (if you do in in the winter) will help. I keep one in a pot and the others I bed them out. If you grow it in semishade with tons of compost mixed in your soil it may grow up to three feet! Looks great with setaria palmifolia.
Welcome, Alejandro (the name of one of my favorite musicians, Alejandro Escovedo). Being in Columbia County but greenhouse-less, I am not sure what the outcome for my babies will be this winter, but I am pondering. I hope that we see you soon again.
I purchased my dragon wing begonia last week. The leaves are curled or rolled up. I am located in southeast NY. I can’t find any info regarding this problem. Please help!
BTW that is a gorgeous picture!
Welcome, Phylis. I do not know what is up with your begonia; usually pretty easy plant unless you overwater it or underwater it (it likes a regular drink but not to be sodden). Are the leaves spotted or discolored in any way, or just curled? I would not bake it in the sun, by the way, in our summers. Whatever is going on, you didn’t cause it, as you’ve only had the plant a week. Tell us more.
Thank you for answering so fast. The leaves are nice and clean, no spots. It does have nice red flowers but the whole plant is drooping. Initially, I had given it too much water, like in a pond. I dumped out the excess. I just pressed on the soil and it is still very wet but it doesn’t pool on top. OMG I just realized that the planter doesn’t have drainage holes! I’ve had it on my front porch, north facing, that gets about 2 hrs of sun in a.m.
I just purchased a Dragon Wing Begonia a couple of days ago and I have been doing some research on it today. I am a little dissapointed thta I can’t keep it in the garden all winter because I had bought it for my daughter’s memorial garden. =( At least I will have some color inside during the winter! I happened to read about the “curled leaf” problem on http://www.seniorwomen.com (I think) here is the quote…”According to one grower, too much sun causes the edges of the leaves to turn dark red and curl. They also exhibit some cold hardiness and can take several hits of temperatures in the low 30s with no problem. Mine withstood several brief freezes this past winter just fine.”
I hope this helps!
Welcome, Willough, with more news on one of our favorite Begonias. Thank you. I am going outside to see what mine is trying to tell me with its body language… :) See you soon again we hope.
Thanks for the info Willough. A memorial garden is so touching. I am sorry for your loss.
I repotted this plant in a pot with good drainage and placed it in continuous shade. It didn’t help. I went back to the place where I purchased it and was told to cut it back (they do not guarantee their plants) So I cut it back, watered it a little at time, and I waited and I waited. Some of the main shoots have turned brown (it looks like there are two separate plants) so I am going to cut them out and repot the healthy ones in new potting soil.
As you can tell I’m very new at this. I have a 3 yr old perenial garden that I just love but I’ve never had much luck with potted plants, except for Hosta and Impatiens so I have alot of them!
Just had our first killing frost and Devils
wing hanging basket is gorgeous in house. Fills up the entire round poker table and so robust that hook doesn’t even show. My Angel Wing planted with wax begonias around bottom is also nice and will see how long they last in the house.
Welcome, Ann, and thanks for news of your experiments with the begonias. Mine got so gigantic there was no bringing it indoors, so I will start again next year, sorry to admit.
Thanks for the info and photos margaret. I love your web site and really appreciate how it brightens up a dreary late fall day. I love the variegated leaf begonias and have a favourite one with large silver and purple edged leaves I think it may be a rex? I have it inside but really dread killing it once furnace season starts (this has been the downfall of many previous favourites) Any suggestions?
Welcome, Liz Grey. I grow many, many houseplant-type begonias, both cane (upright stems like bamboo, but smaller) and rhizomatous (with caterpillar-like rhizomes at soil-surface level) and the one Rex type as well. I find the Rex ones hardest of all.
Keys to all kinds: Don’t overwater…less is more. Never let the saucer or cachepot have standing water in it. Let the plants very nearly dry before watering. No siting in super-chilly spots, no blazing sun, no radiator tops. Ideal would be 55 at night and 75 by day, but that can be tricky. Humidity (or lack of) is a key as well, so the standard tactic of pebble trays with some water (but not deep enough to touch the bottoms of the pots) helps.
I find that my guys often get angry at me and one or another will drop its leaves, sometimes in late winter, sometimes right after I bring them in in fall. Most recover, however.
Might be worth a pit stop at the Begonia Society website, too.
I’ve just googled this amazing creature to find out it’s name. My husband brought a dragon wing home three years ago, and it’s still doing lovely.. we’ve even moved with it. It’s about 2 ft by 4 ft. I LOVE it, flowers all winter.. in Montana it’s especially nice. Is this longevity typical of begonias? If so I may a few more.
Welcome, Alysson. I am so happy to hear of its longevity even as a winter houseplant in Montana. Great news. I have many begonias (probably 15 kinds) that live outdoors in the warmer months, indoors in the colder, and they have been with me for many years. I like Logee’s as a source–great selection.