Do you know anything about Begonia's?

Every year, I buy an apricot Begonia and plant it in a huge clay pot outside my front door. I think they are just beautiful and they remind me of my mother.


I have noticed they thrive in the shade, but the big orange blooms fall off in the sunshine.


Can I plant the hanging plant in the ground in the shade? How about keeping it alive until next spring. Is it possible to preserve it somehow?


Begonia's are not the most popular plant this year. I had to go thru about 4 greenhouses before I found one. I am not sure what happened. Usually the greenhouses in my area are blooming Begonia's.


Can you fill me in on whatever you know about Begonia's?

Do you know anything about Begonia's?
The thing you have to remember about begonias is no matter what type it is, i.e. waxleaf, non-stop, dragon wing, etc., they all want more shade than sun. However, the dark leafed varieties can handle more sun than shade. There is no reason why you cannot move your huge clay pot into the shade or plant the begonia in the ground in the shade. Depending on where you live, over-wintering a begonia may or may not be possible. I live in Georgia and work in a greenhouse. I can honestly say I don't think it's possible because it is such a tender plant. It won't hurt anything to try, though. Just bring it inside when it gets cold, keep it in an area that gets a lot of bright light, but indirect light and keep it watered and fed with a slow release fertilizer like Dynamite or Colorburst. I also use Super Bloom on almost all my plants and they love it. I don't know if any of these products are available in your area, but if not there must be something comparable. Again, depending on where you live, the growers in your area may have had problems with new pest or disease problems with begonias this year and that's why you're not seeing many. Good luck to you!