Bright, Simple Blooms

You're going to love this flower-pink or red.

Create a little magic in your garden with a few Dragon Wing begonias. Drifts of blooms appear to hover amid the glossy leaves. But this is no illusion: It's real, and you'll be amazed how long the color lasts.

Sometimes there just isn't time to tend flowers. Garden designer Frances Parker of Beaufort, South Carolina, recommends Dragon Wing begonias. "They need so little care; they're like polyester," she says. "And the brilliant blooms last from spring till frost."

They tolerate heat and prefer morning sun with some light afternoon shade. Place them in well-drained soil that has organic matter such as peat. You can get even more flowers with regular feeding. No time to fertilize? Then use a granular, timed-release product such as Osmocotc 14-14-14. One application will last for months.

Plant for Success

If you buy a Dragon Wing in a 4-inch pot, it may not have many flowers. Don't worry; just place it in a larger container (or plant several en masse in a bed). Eventually it will grow 16 inches high and 18 inches wide and will be covered in blooms.

In mid-July, snip a few stems to keep your plant looking full. Around October (before the first frost), bring it inside to overwinter. Dig up and pot begonias that are in flowerbeds. If your plant is in a large container or hanging basket, place it in a smaller pot. Cut the stems back to reduce the plant's size. Move the begonia indoors near a window, and keep it slightly dry. In spring, return it to the yard for another year of blooms.

Give your garden a lift this season, and plant a few Dragon Wings. You will be charmed by the magic of their colorful flowers. GENE B. BUSSELL

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2004
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