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Begonia Flamboyant — 47 Comments

  1. Hi Alistair,

    Do you know where I can get hold of Begonia RR Flamboyant? I live in Devon.

  2. What a beautiful display you have congratulations.
    I’m so pleased to finally trace the name of this lovely begonia. I was lucky enough to be given two of the tubers a couple of years ago. I have only today discovered the name…flamboyant! I just love my plants and this year has been so good for the display. I will be looking to increase my tubers for the next years planting.
    Wendy Theakston

  3. Alistair, thanks very much. I was doubtful that anyone would be shipping from Scotland, but I thought it was worth a try. There is not
    much of a selection here in the states. I have no idea what the problem is. I fear that most people feel that begonias are too difficult to grow.

  4. I have been planning on ordering tubers this year from Blackmore and Langdon, but their stock is quite limited. Do you know of anyone who ships begonia tubers to the US?
    We have been looking for a strong red, and a red and white picotee.

    Here in the US, begonia tubers are not plentiful, as most people are not interested in growing them. I stumbled upon the Scottish Begonia Society web site and was amazed at the flowers being grown throughout the country.

  5. David, that’s the news which I have been waiting to hear, (do cuttings develop in to tubers in the first year suitable for over Wintering.) Another method which I am interested in is ,In early Spring, take a teaspoon and scoop out the growing shoot and then pot them up. I must say though in the 15yrs which we have had our tubers they have grown larger and larger and I simply slice through them making four tubers out of the one. I think it is just reaching the time when I should consider your method.

  6. Congratulations. Fantastic web-site, have reall enjoyed it.
    I grow a lot of flamboyants and find the tubers start to get a little tired after 5 years or so.
    The last three years I have taken cuttings in June, rooting them in the greenhouse in one inch modules,in a unheated propogator with fleece shading. Mist spraying every day.
    After a month they are well rooted. I put them in a 4 compartment plant tray and leave them to grow like mad in the greenhouse for another month.
    Come August they sit out on my veg plot (after the onions are lifted) . By the end of October I cut back the foliage and take them out of the packs. The little tubers are about the size of the top of your finger.
    After storing in the winter they make fantastic plants the following spring . The tubers put on about three to four times their size in a season.
    Best wishes from the Isle of Man

  7. Cut back the foliage just leave an inch or so of the stems. Lift the tubers clean off most of the soil, you cant be feeding once they are lifted. Place tubers in seed trays and leave in the greenhouse to dry off, once they are almost dry remove some more of the loose soil the remaining part of the stems will just fall away. When they are completely dry wrap each tuber in newspaper place them in a cardboard box and pop them in your unheated loft.. Start them off in growth again in the greenhouse in March.

  8. Hi there,

    I’m currently lifting my Flamboyant tubers and was wondering whether to leave foliage on to die back naturally & feed tuber (as you do with daffodils). Or else just lift & clean?
    Grateful for advice.

  9. Well, now I can see how all your hard work has paid off, well done and a curious lovely story too! Always informative and fun alistair. Your weather sounds like ours very brrish, roses look great! Thesis almost finished, I’ll be able to keep a closer look at your gorgeous garden, saw a lovely hydragea petiolaris up here in Orkney and was reminded of your post……cheers, Fay

  10. Laura, fecund! what a great word. Our Begonia rather than replicating with abundant offspring, more a case of the tubers growing so large we were able to divide them, again and again.

  11. I love begonias Alistair and flamboyant is an understatement. My tuberous tubers have never replicated themselves and rather stunned that you had so many to give away. Fecund might be a better name
    p.s rosa mundi is prettiest in the world 😉

  12. your garden is looking amazing alastair, and the bright red begonia is special. The ones I am familiar with are a muddier red colour. They are annuals here too but they don’t naturalize, needing work and care. The old fashioned roses are my favourites.

  13. Masha I know exactly what you mean regarding Jacques Cartier. I actually lifted it from the border because of this. I planted it in a container last Autumn, and this year it has performed to its best.

  14. Hi Andrea,most of the Begonias which we grow here in the UK produce tubers. In our climate they have to be lifted and stored over Winter. We do also grow the semperflorens begonia which is an annual plant.

  15. Hi Alistair, they really stand up for its name flamboyant! If it is begonia, why does it have tubers? Your roses are flamboyant too esp that variegated one, soooo beautiful.

  16. The begonia is wonderful, really flamboyant! It lights up your garden. I never see begonias like this here – they just hate our dry heat…

    Your roses are so lovely, you have a wonderful collection. Jacques Cartier is amazing, mine never looks so great: it sets too many buds in tight clusters, and they seldom open properly… Does yours ever have this problem?

  17. It must be quite a bit of work to lift, clean and store 250 tubers! I can see why you do it though. They are a spectacular red-orange! (On a side note I see that you have one of those cone-shaped hanging baskets. I got a pair on sale. Sadly, when I got them home my husband declared them to be ugly. I am glad someone else likes them besides me!) You have a lovely collection of roses. The pinks are always my favourites.

  18. Its true Carolyn, we have all these plants but our planting style does not always show them off to their best, you know a single plant here and there. We do have about a third of an acre which does give space for quite a lot.

  19. Alistair – I’m imagining borders around Aberdeen filled with the offspring of your flamboyant begonias. I hope the recipients of your 200 plants are maintaining your high standards.
    Lovely roses – my favourite to look at is Blush Noisette. Though like Myra, fragrance of a rose takes priority for me.

  20. Stunning begonia Alistair, looks especially great with the variegated ivy in the basket.
    I have just compiled a small ( But hopefully set to expand) list of great Scottish gardening blogs, and have included you in the list – I hope this is okay.
    If you know of any more I have not yet included, please do drop me a comment. Thank you, best wishes, Cat @ Abriachan

  21. I really like the look of that begonia. How nice that you are spreading this unusual flower to others. Your roses look very happy. They are each very pretty.

  22. Lovely photos Alistair. Have you tried the National Begonia Society for the variety Richard Galle? If anyone knows they will.

  23. I don’t do much with annuals but that begonia is a beauty. You have so many gorgeous roses. I often wonder when I read your posts how you fit everything in your garden.

  24. Your plants are always so perfect and pristine. Looove that Rosa Mundi. Fabulous Begonias, they are one of my Mother’s faves, they don’t do for me.

  25. Your garden has many of what would be annuals here. The begonias would die off in our winters, but they return for you. I guess your Dusty Miller comes back too?

  26. Thats a pity Charles, I have been giving away so many of them in the past few months, no more to give away now though. Our local garden nursery has them Ben Reid & Sons.

  27. Lovely show of Begonia Flamboyant ! I had some old plants here in Co.Antrim which have fallen prey to vine weevil, so I am looking for a source to replace them? I’d welcome any suggestions.
    Looking forward to hearing from you.
    Charles Carson

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