My Begonia luxurians

[redsquirrel]

very wise,im not a lover of internet payments either.

[Dave Brown]

I'm getting a bit nervous about this, three years isn't long enough to have grown it and think of myself as an expert!

Chad.

Three years more experience than most of us, and the fact you still have it says you are doing something right

[weve]

Firstly aspect. My planted one is in dappled shade.The potted one was kept in sun. I read an old post by Dave Poole (somewhere) that sun makes the leaves paler with a slight yellowish hue. I didn't find that on my "sunny" one, but the leaves did have reddish tinges, which may be attractive to some, but I preferred just the green of the shady one. BTW don't be disappointed if your plants look a little untidy when unpacking, its due to the box and packing. This soon grows out.

re credit cards: I alway ring and order, not necesarily more secure, but I do like talking to a real person and it can give an idea of the professionalism and quality of the company/firm.

Keyloggers: should be picked up by virus/adware scanners. However it is generally advised now, to overcome this problem, that all important numbers/passwords etc are pasted into forms (not typed) from a saved document using copy and paste. (of course. you have to type in the passwords/numbers to create the document in the first place. However you can disguise this by typing in lots of random stuff in which the password/number is contained in it somewhere and cut and paste only the password/number into the new document to save. Keyloggers can't detect anything if using a mouse. I don't bother with any of this tho' as I don't keep sensitive info on my comp, don't use internet banking and as I say. ring up to make purchases.

It saddens me greatly we now live in such a dishonest society, we must be constantly on our guard
best
weve

[weve]

apalling that the credit card company were so unsympathetic to your situation. what you did was not at all unreasonable or negligent. Bleak!.

I have been ripped off for loads in the last 10 years, not by using computers but in the old fashioned way by so called tradesmen and builders. Sued one, I told only the absolute truth in court, they lied through their teeth and I lost the case!.

So unfortunately you're not alone, Metalhammer!

best
weve

[Petefree]

Hill House is only about 9 miles away from me, so I'm lucky and it will be a good learning visit too. I'll also ask about the "unknown" schefflera that members (and myself) have, that is supposed to have "originated" from the one growing in the gardens there. (Never seen it tho')

Do they have one at Hill House too then, Weve? Is that where you got your Schefflera from?
I know there's a "mystery Schefflera" at the Garden House at Buckland Monachorum. I got seeds from them last year but sadly none have germinated. The Garden House one looks a lot like taiwaniana - but no one seems sure. Seems like Devon has more than its fair share of mystery scheffies!

[Nigel Fear]

Any chance this useful topic can somehow be split and the propagating hints saved, perhaps in the exotic reference section?

There's a lot of good information here.
That's if Weve and Chad don;t mind of course.

[metalhammer]

Weve,if you think that's bad,one of the directors for the company I work for had the company credit card cloned at a filling station,the little shallot had £19 grand off it,flew 1st class to Sydney.Bank rung up the company to ask if anybody from the firm had flown to Australia,that was the first they knew about it.We were talking about it one night whilst waiting to clock out,out of the 6 of us present,4 had money taken illegally off us,one guy didn't have a card,only one hadn't been done.If that is carried forward into the general population it's frightening.One guy had £2200 removed by somebody who got his details off his computer.




metalhammer.

[DaveP]

I'd just like to add a few comments based on my experience of this Begonia. In my part of the world, it is stem hardy and semi-evergreen during an average, coastal south Devon winter. Flowering normally commences in November and continues until spring. We have not had a typical winter for the past 2 years and last winter ('08/'09) saw my plant defoliated and the stems knocked back by about 30%.

Recovery last spring was extremely slow and hesitant although by August it was making strong basal shoots with the large (30-40cms) leaves as before. New 'canes' were about 2m. high by October. This current winter has already wiped out most of the top growth and the continued, sub 10C temps may have weakened the plant beyond the point where it can survive.

This is a tender plant by any standards and I would never recommend it as a permanent garden subject unless it is heavily protected or the local climate is very mild and normally frost free. I've been growing it here with some success for about 6 years, but I won't be surprised if this extraordinary winter has killed the plant. I've recently had a look at Begonia 'Little Brother Montgomery', which was planted at about the same time and predictably all top growth has been lost. Sadly, I cannot find any firm subterranean rhizome either, so I suspect the frequent frosts have done for that as well.

A word or two about Hill House postage and carriage charges. Ray and Sacha have been very good friends of mine for many years. I am only too aware of the agonising about going mail order and it took several years before they took the plunge. Their greatest concern has always been that the plants leaving the nursery in prime condition should arrive in equally good condition.

As a result, they do not compromise on packing and take great care in minimising the risk of damage in transit. You can't do this without incurring costs and you can have up to 4, 2L plants in a package for £10 or so, which seems pretty good value to me. If you bought from Crug, you'd have to pay £25.00 minimum. Hill House certainly don't make money out p&p and if you saw the trouble they go to, you'd agree that it is money well spent.

[DaveP]

Firstly aspect. My planted one is in dappled shade.The potted one was kept in sun. I read an old post by Dave Poole (somewhere) that sun makes the leaves paler with a slight yellowish hue. I didn't find that on my "sunny" one, but the leaves did have reddish tinges, which may be attractive to some, but I preferred just the green of the shady one.

I was referring to the fact that if it is planted in full sun and not getting sufficient moisture or nutrients, the leaves are smaller and take on a yellowish hue. Give it overhead shade and a moist, but well-drained, rich soil and it grows like the blazes with seriously impressive leaves to 45cms across in a good year.

[weve]

PeteFree OOPs Now you said about Garden House, seems my memory is playing tricks. (it must be the Mad Cow -or age, setting in! ) You are correct and i am wrong. Getting my local "houses" mixed up. Thanks for that! I got my Scheffy at "Desert to Jungle" Taunton, and I was obviously mis-remembering the conversations I had at the time of purchase. (we also talked about Hill House nurseries on that visit too, in what, I now remember, was a totally different context). Garden House is where it is!

DaveP. Thanks for the info Dave, and for clarification about the leaf colour in Sun. (I hope you didn't mind me quoting you!) And I agree about Hill House, both Ray & Sacha are always incredibly helpful and knowledgable and their plants are excellent! Its good to see a "proper" well run, quality nursery in an increasing population of Garden Centres selling tacky gifts!

Nigel: I agree about the move to the reference section. In fact I started a topic in the "Propagation" section last year regarding the propagation of Begonia luxurians, so a relevent thread already exists there! (headed "Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?") Perhaps Dave could add the relevent posts to that. (Sorry Dave..........)

If you found the info in this thread useful ( I certainly have!) we've got the person who originally PMed me to thank for it. Thanks! He has not posted, but messaged me instead saying that its probably too tender for what he wants. But thanks where its due . Won't actually say who it was, but here's a clue....... .
( Hope you don't mind me disclosing this, PMer, but its meant well and you deserve a thank you! )

best
weve

Edit Thanks for answering my PM so promptly. Glad you didn't mind me saying! Thought it only polite to check with you tho', as it was your PM. Cheers

[metalhammer]

My Begonia luxurians plants arrived from Hill House Nursery today,nice looking plants.I'm chuffed with the quality







metalhammer.

[Simba]

Luxurians are truly an outstanding plant, no doubt about that.

I think that they are every bit as special as the Scheffies, and a lot cheaper too...

[Dave Brown]

I'm in trouble now

Couldn't miss the chance of a B luxurians, so just ordered one from Hill House. While looking to maximise the delivery cost also bagged a Heliconia Schn.... something, and an Abutilon

Well, it's nearly my birthday...... give or take a few months

[weve]

Well done MH glad you recieved your BL ok and are happy with it! I haven't had chsnce to pick mine up yet! Take care of it until the weather warms. It was -3.5c here last night!

Dave, Happy Birthday, for a few months time! Welcome to the club!

Checked my wrapped planted one. The stem (of about 6 nodes and 2ft 6" tall) seems to be firm to about halfway up. Haven't checked to see if it is alive yet tho'. Certainly no sign of any new growth, but its still damn cold, even here!

After a brief warmish respite, have had to start worrying about ALL my plants again!
weve

[Nigel Fear]

I'm in trouble now

Couldn't miss the chance of a B luxurians, so just ordered one from Hill House. While looking to maximise the delivery cost also bagged a Heliconia Schn.... something, and an Abutilon

Well, it's nearly my birthday...... give or take a few months

Spooky! Almost what I got, 2 Begonia's and an Abutilon.
Mine should be with me tommorrow.