I also brought back Metallic Mist from PDN and am trialing it for hardiness; I have one in the greenhouse and one in the garden (divided the plant before planting it out). Both plants lost their leaves (from what I've read, this cultivar tends to be deciduous anyway, which is always a plus for outdoor survival), and both rhizomes appear to be intact right now. The one in the greenhouse is starting to push new growth, so I'm cautiously increasing the frequency of watering. B. boliviensis does well for me in containers, but I don't think I have the drainage to carry it over the winter. I take cuttings in fall, and they are robust young plants right now, ready to be planted out. I have to think about this with lots of the things I bring back from PDN. If you notice, most of the things that are marginally hardy there are planted on berms; wish I'd had the time/energy/money/foresight to do that here when I built my garden. Begonias that I've grown long enough to consider completely hardy here are B. grandis (all forms), B. sinensis (both the pink and white forms, which are definitely not the same as grandis - one may be a subspecies of the other), B. sutherlandii, B. formosana, and the tall, clumping white wax heirloom variety. This last is probably B. cuculata (sp?), but PDN sells it as "Barbara Rogers" - I got mine from my grandmother 20 years ago. I think the key with most begonias (heck, most plants in general) is to let them dry out slightly between waterings. I've even managed to grow some tuberous varieties during our inhospitable summers by protecting them from heavy rains and overwatering.

Don, mini-garden? I potted those up after I had their roots in water for 2 days. I have another 5 in pots for later planting. Then I have all those seedlings, which are my minis, which I have to find places for. Usually in August after the heat is over I will be planting, by then I also have figured out which streaker seedlings I will keep and which to give to a hosta society sale. .... But then, I might do it earlier.... Bernd

PLEASE don't respond to such old posts. What happened back then could be totally different from today. Start your own post if you have a problem with a certain company, because I still believe that we have this forum to complain if we are treated badly. I did back then. I would not presume to say the same thing today, 5 years later unless I had recent personal experience with them. Not fair to a vendor who can have some off times. Problems happen and it is how the mitigate those problems that should count. -Babka

Hey Liza; I just ordered 2 T. princeps and 2 T. nanus from PDN too. I hope they get mine right. They need to start worrying about their reputation, if they're going to send the wrong plants. I wont know until April, 'cause thats when mine are being shipped. Good luck! Einar