Marksbegonias' Blog

Hi Mark,
What a stunning pair of foliage Begonias. I can see why you have added them to your collection.I would love to feature them in our Summer exotic border!!!! Thanks for sharing the photos with us.
Let us know how these plants progress.
Best wishes,
Grenville.

I can appreciate how you feel about naming your begonias Mark, because I feel the same about my fuchsias and cacti. I was annoyed last year when I bought a fuchsia from a specialist nursery to replace the one I lost, only to find that it was incorrectly labelled. Now I've got one that I don't know it's name and still haven't got the one I wanted !
I love the colour of your begonia leaves. I find rich dark colours and also very pale soft colours are what attract me most to the plants that I buy.

Grenville - these two Begonias pictured aren't new ones, i've had them some time. I ordered a new one called B.Blushing Silver - which looks a beautiful plant (but i haven't got a picture yet). After i'd placed the order i received an email with reference to the order, but also an observation that the two plants above were labeled wrongly. I've corrected them now, and just put a picture of them in my blog just incase anyone wondered which plant they were. I know there was some interest in the name of B. Lucerna (or Spotted Angel Wings as it was labeled when i bought it).
Blodyn - I certainly do like the correct names for my own satisfaction, but if the plant goes to show and the judge noticed incorrect names it could loose points. I'm sure most people do like the correct name so there should be more of an effort on the sellers side to get it right! It must have been very annoying to think you have a replacement plant and then discover it isn't. My dad always grew a few Cacti, not sure if he still does.

Great-looking plants Mark. It may not often be said, but I must say, it's nice to see a beautifully maintained greenhouse! I see you also like Parwin heaters, to my mind nobody else comes close.

Yes i've always used Parwin heaters, although i have just switched to tube heaters in one greenhouse because the fans were blowing the Maidenhair ferns and causing them to go brown - still using the Parwin thermostat though, and the Parwin fan heaters in the other greenhouses :-)

Hi Mark! I am so glad that you have been "in touch" with Shirley and Terry Tasker. Aren't they just fantastic? THE begonia expertsI )in my humble opinion) - must admit to being a tad surprised that you bought from e-bay! As you know by now, stbegonias have become my number 1 idols, lol!

I haven't bought many from ebay, but these two looked such good plants. I don't think i shall be making that mistake again though, as i need correctly named plants for showing. I have only heard of Shirley & Terry Tasker through The National Begonia Society, i hadn't come across their website. My foilage Begonias have come from Dibleys nurseries, until now. The double tuberous ones from Blackmore and Langdon's or Bellcross nurseries (a few from other Begonia growers in the society). And yes i did find them really helpful, i was surprised that they took the time to look at my plants and send information about to correct the names - they must be busy people, so that really impressed me. They certainly are the Begonia experts, with the various foilage Begonias anyway (i don't think they deal with the double tuberous type).

No, I believe they specialise in the foliage types, Mark.