Photo credit:  Rob Normandeau

Okay, I am officially in love with this begonia.  Who wouldn’t be?  The hot orange blossoms + that delicious rich chocolatey-coffee foliage colour = YUM!   I’ve paired ‘Mocca’ with green-leafed ‘Nonstop Orange’ in a partly-shaded location, and the two are doing fabulously!

Easy-care annuals, tuberous begonias (Begonia x tuberhybrida) really only need watering (from below or with care if from above – try not to get too much water on the leaves) and a little shot of food every couple of weeks during the growing season – and they’ll perform all summer long.  Although they do not like a great deal of direct light, tuberous begonias are surprisingly heat tolerant – and, indeed, get a little cranky under prolonged cool and wet conditions.

Because I’m so enamoured with my new acquisitions, I’m going to try to save the tubers over winter, which I hear is a rather delicate process with varying degrees of success.  I know I’m bookmarking this article, which discusses the method in some detail.

Are you growing tuberous begonias (or rhizomatous, or Rex, or any other type) in your garden?  Have you ever overwintered tuberous begonias?  Do you have any tips for me?

 Related articles

• Sunday spotlight:  ‘White Russian’ supertunia.
• Sunday spotlight:  Saskatoon.