Solenia begonias open up a new world of garden elegance
By the time you read this, I will be zooming past the 100-day mark with my begonias. You may think that is nothing special, but your perspective is the determining factor.
State College, Pennsylvania, home of Penn State University, has a growing season of just over 150 days, so it looks like I have a begonia home run from that comparison.
But in Columbus, Georgia, our growing season is 100 days longer, so you see what I am talking about with perspective.
I am also talking Rieger begonias, or botanically speaking, Begonia x hiemalis. I’ll chase that rabbit in a minute.
When Proven Winners tossed some Solenia begonias my way to trial, I was beyond skeptical that they would be successful in my region. Had I not seen these in the Pacific Northwest or photos on Mackinac Island, Michigan, I wouldn’t have believed it could be possible. I am talking about West Georgia, where we do heat in a big way.
While I might have had a bountiful amount of skepticism, I also knew if they worked, I would be home to some of the most beautiful blossoms in the world. My mission impossible began with Solenia Chocolate Orange, Yellow and a rich Apricot, the rarest color in the world of gardening.
Now for a little rabbit chasing. When you do the obvious Google search, you will see scholarly articles that say Rieger begonias bloom during the winter with dainty flowers. Mine were planted in early April and have huge 3-inch flowers that look for all the world like roses. But you will see Rieger, Hiemalis and Elatior all used, and soon you might get that feeling of being in taxonomy class and your breathing starts to get rapid.
This is where I go back to Penn State and their flower trials. They did two trials with the Solenia Apricot, one in the sun and one in the shade. While the trials in the sun showed excellent and good performance reviews, the one in shade was very good to excellent. They rated four times, and the sun score was 4.5 out of 5; the shade score was 4.78 out of 5.
All my Solenia begonias were planted in containers with the very best potting soil. I have more sun starting in the spring that diminishes as we move toward the middle of summer. Since they are in mixed containers, they get watered daily and fertilized with a watersoluble fertilizer every two weeks. They did get about 12 inches tall with a 12-inch spread that elegantly tumbles off the rim of the container.
Every day when I look at these begonias it is a love fest. I have Surefire Cherry Cordial and Surefire Red planted in the ground, but the Solenia begonias in containers give the feeling of having a Rembrandt- or Monettype plant in the garden.
I have three turquoise tall planters staggered on the side of a slope in my backyard and immediately knew they would be the home of the Solenia Apricot plants. I used Queen Tut papyrus in the center and Superbena Whiteout, Superbena
Cobalt and Supertunia Mini Vista Ultramarine petunia as companions.
The containers with the Solenia Chocolate Orange were more bowlshaped and had Supertunia Persimmon petunia and Superbells Grape Punch calibrachoas as partners. As my sunlight diminishes, it is to the benefit of the Solenia begonias but becomes a challenge to the Supertunias, Superbells and Superbenas.
This coincides well, however, with the summer cutting-back, which usually keeps them alive until the shifting sun returns for fall and winter. Since the containers look thin from the standpoint of color after cutting back, I usually drop in a quart-size caladium as a new partner for the rest of summer. This year the caladium I used was Heart to Heart Flatter Me, which paired well with the orange-red of the begonia blossoms.
I split the Solenia Yellow begonias with my neighbors Dave and Cynthia. Their container was a grand slam with Superbells Yellow calibrachoa, the new Supertunia Hoopla Vivid Orchid petunia and Augusta Lavender heliotrope as companions.
The Solenia begonia trials at my house have already exceeded all expectations, and I just think I am past 100 days and they are still going. There is a new, wonderful begonia world opening up. Proven Winners will be adding Solenia Scarlet in 2024, and I can’t wait to get my hands on them.