Begonias

These look stunning Fourseasons, such vivid colours, a definite for next year.

I over winter them so they are really useful plants

What's the best way to overwinter them?

Marksbegonias may have other thoughts but I lift mine in October and twist off the stems. I store them in the garage as a single layer of dry tubers in boxes - just covered lightly with old sphagmum moss or fleece. I wake them up in early February by putting them somewhere warmer. When they are well-sprouted I put them into compost. I then put them outside when danger of frost has passed

Having said that, I have found some still in the ground from last year and they survived quite happily, though flowering a little later than the others. Even more survived in tiered baskets that I didn't strip down last autumn. These I had placed at the foot of a north facing fence. This all leads me to wonder if I will leave them outside in the containers this year and pile them in a heap with some protection. That way, I will keep all the colours together in the baskets - they can get mixed up unless I am meticulous about labelling.

After four years, some of the tubers are 8 inches across. I plant these up separately in large pots. If I can successfully over-winter these on their sides then it will save a lot of hassle. I will just replace the top layer of compost and fertilise with Growmore, which will be fairly inexpensive. In the past my main problem has been what to do with all the compost - I have run out of borders where I can use it to make undulations! And replacing all the compost is costly.

I just have to hope that we don't have a severe winter!

Wow stunning display .I sent for trailing begonias from Jersey plants which are just starting to bloom now.4seasons but not sure I would or can overwinter these.they arrived as small plug plants.

I bought some from Jersey Plants. They were tiny and mostly remain so! Don't think I'll do that again. I will be experimenting to see if I can overwinter some. They would probably, eventually, develop tubers. Some from seed, presumably, get bigger in their natural environment.

So many pictures these days it takes a while to get round to seeing them.
After reading your own comment i was wondering if some of the garden Begonias (as opposed to the named exhibition double tuberous Begonias) may be more hardy than the exhibition ones? Of course if they are in the ground as opposed to pots that might help. I wouldn't want to risk leaving mine outside after the second week in September, but there are a few £30 tubers amongst them which i wouldn't want to have to replace. I am wondering if i need to get them all inside the greenhouse as early though, maybe some less expensive ones that i am not short of could stop outside a bit longer next year. The 2nd week in September was always the deadline i was given by Stan, who has taught me to grow the Begonias.

If you use 15 plants in one display, how big are the tubers on each plant? What size pot / container do you use? I hope you don't mind me asking, but this does look good. I have always grown one main stem and two side shoots, depending on the plant. Some growers have been showing plants similar to yours, which seems a bit pointless on a one view point display because you can't see most of the blooms - less blooms means bigger blooms. However for a display outside where people can see round the plant, this is a better way to display the plant, i think.