I used some of the variegated cultivar in a container one year. I thought that I would like them but once planted amongst the other things in the pot, I was really disappointed. They just looked diseased to me, rather than variegated, lol.

Agreed. When I'm looking at these plants, I usually pick those dead flowers off because first, they're fugly, and they also tend to stick to the leaves, or the still-good flowers. Easier to do when dry. Your plants look great, the red on the edge of the leaves is healthy. When the ones in the ground emerge in the spring, they look like that if they're in a spot that's under a tree that hasn't leafed-out yet. If there's an ugly brown leaf, I trim it off so the new leaves under it can get light and have space to get bigger.

The wax Begonias I've purchased this year are struggling also. All of the existing foliage has died off (I gradually picked off each leaf as it became ugly from some kind of pathogen,) although there is vigorous-looking basal growth on all. New plants put in the ground are coping better, naturally, and overwintered plants seem unaffected, or any of the other Begonias around the yard and pots. Doesn't sound like the same sudden death you described, but interesting we're both having trouble with what should be such a trouble-free plant. Is anyone else having troubles with waxies this year? These plants, now much smaller (at about 2 inches for the biggest,) than when I bought them are NOT the star of any show and look ridiculous in hanging pots. Luckily I did mixed pots and other plants are trying to make up for it. That was before the sun went away. If it doesn't come back soon, and never stops raining, all of the plants will be dead anyway. Might be a moot point. Splash, splash...!

It depends on how much of a hybrid you have. It may be sterile. If it is fertile you should have two types of flowers - male (pollen bearing) and female (has a sticky pistil and ovary). Transfer the pollen from the male flower to the female either by removing the male and touching the pollen to the female or using a brush or a finger or a Q-tip or anything that can transfer pollen from the male to the female. In cases like this it is much easier to start new plants with stem cuttings. Cut below a node while keeping a couple of nodes above and push the stem into some moist potting mix enough to embed one node.