This is a positively evil thread, LOL. Reading through all these posts prompted to me to purchase 'Pink Scentiment' and 'John Smith' earlier this spring, and I now have them both growing on my windowsill indoors. I have grown Begonia solananthera and 'Tea Rose' in the past. While they had very pleasant fragrances, they just never "wowed" me in the scent department, being far too soft and subtle. I thought the tuberhybrida begonia scents would be similarly soft and subtle. But I think I may have been wrong... Right now, I have buds on the 'John Smith'. One bud which is coloring up with an electric coral color but not really near to opening (I give it another week) is already exuding a fragrance! It is a *strong* delicious smell just like ripe sweet peaches or nectarines, maybe with a little rose thrown in. I am amazed, and my nose is very happy. This was an expensive bulb (from White Flower Farm) but it sprouted rapidly and it has been a vigorous grower from the start. The stem is extremely thick and beefy and the leaves are huge. The 'Pink Scentiment' is not nearly so vigorous compared to 'John Smith', but it also sprouted rapidly and has been growing steadily ever since. The stem is not as thick and it seems to be a very heavy brancher, as can be expected with a pendula type. Leaves are about half the size of 'John Smith' and there are no buds in sight yet. I can't wait to sample its scent later this summer once it is large enough to bloom. If I am successful with these two begonias, I will definitely want to seek out other fragrant tuberhybridas in the future.

Now comes some tidbits from a Floridian! First, Rexes do not thrive in FL. They are grown in temp controlled greenhouses with swamp coolers, which is why you see them for sale. Although it may feel muggy if you are in one, the temp is lowered during the day and cooled at night - relatively. There are newer rex/rhizo hybrids I am growing with success, but pure rexes never make it in our hot, wet summers. It is truly the hot nights that kill them. 80F lows are not uncommon. In habitat, rexes see 68-70F at night. Secondly, whomever started this thread is growing in soil that is way too heavy. I use Fafard #2 with additional perlite and pine bark added. I also keep my begonias barely potted up - like a few inches larger when they need it. That ensures the soil does not stay wet, which kills begonias. If you struggle to pick up a bag of soil, it is too heavy. I have five foot canes in 3 gallon pots. I can easily pick up a 3 gallon cane with one hand - that is what they prefer. Keeping that in mind should help you grow great begonias! Picture is my bench of 'River Nile'! Greg Sytch, ABS Horticultural Corresondent

Dana, I gave up veggies years ago and converted my small garden plots to a natural area. Ornamental cherry trees, azaleas (both native and exotic), Japanese maples, Kousa dogwood, redbuds, rhododendrons, viburnums, oakleaf hydrangeda, and other shrubs replaced the tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, and corn plots. Now that the trees and shrubs have matured I had to cut two Yoshino cherries (kept the Okame and Kwanzan) and the viburnums shaded out the daylilies, irises, and lilies. The azaleas are crowding the pathway and always need pruning after blooming. Now at our new house, I have the opportunity to have both a moderate veggie garden and a natural area since the lot is more than twice the size. As for seed growing under lights, that is what I used to do to get a jump on growing. My problem was I had "visions of sugar plums dancing in my head" so I had too many seeds and different types going on at the same time. I eventually started to plant only half of the seed since I learned from mistakes that sometimes things go wrong (Murphy's law) such as drying out, damping off, those pesky fungus gnats, dropping the tray, etc. Lotus and water lilies from seed do not take long at all to grow. The tropical water lilies will be blooming the same year. Lotus may take an extra year. Lotus is hardy even up in Tennessee. I don't know how hardy they are in your area. After they germinate and put out some leaves, you can put them in your pond. I would start them out on a shelf or bricks at the bottom to get them closer to the surface. Once the leaves reach the surface they grow very fast. Of course the weather has to be warm. After the leaves are floating on the surface you can put the pot on the bottom of the pond. The lotus does well in shallow water. A kiddy pool is excellent for lotus and Japanese iris as well. DO NOT put koi in a pond with plants. The koi will disturb the soil inside the potted plants making a big muddy mess. Instead have two ponds - one for plants and goldfish and snails, the other for koi. I think the best idea is to have two levels with the top pond being for plants and goldfish and letting the water fall to the bottom pond. You can mix koi and goldfish but if there is not enough food, I wonder if the koi would eat the goldfish? For apartments, I would stick with a conventional aquarium, unless you have space and a strong floor (or you are on a slab) to put in a pond. You are right on the plants mentioned not doing well in the south. It just gets too hot and sometimes drought makes you think of Arizona (not really). There are exceptions though. Primroses are treated as annuals here but I planted several in a spot of the front yard of the old house around a birch tree. Out of six (or more), one survived and continues to flourish. It is at the base of the tree as well. It has made it through 4 hot summers now. Also, for the people who are lucky enough to have a creek running through their property, they can have all kinds of primroses (makes me sick). My uncle in Alaska grows primroses for profit and for showing. I just don't want to live in Alaska even if primroses were the only flower in the world. I will stick to showy evening Mexican primroses (Oenothera speciosa) which are perennial, very showy, can be weedy, but blooms non-stop for about 4 weeks in May. There are several evening primroses but most are yellow. The Mexican one is pink and can go to white. I grew mine from seed and can fill a space in no time. I always wanted to grow the primula Japonica or the candlelabra types but never had much luck. (T&M is where I got these kinds of seed but germination was very poor). Lupines and dephiniums are treated like annuals as well here. I do not like to pay perennial prices for plants that are annual in nature. You should be able to buy a six pack of either plant for the same price as a 4 inch pot. Also lupines are very easy to grow from seed. Of course if you drive through Maine, they grow like weeds. Texas bluebonnets are pretty but not as pretty as the Russell types. Yes, clivia does take about 3 to 4 years to bloom from seed. A blooming clivia may cost anywhere from 15 to 25 dollars (shop around). I bought 5 seeds from Park's many years ago for $3.50. Six seeds actually were in the package. Four germinated (67% success) but I lost one (boo hoo). The remaining three grew to mature plants. I gave one to my mother which she has divided many times and passed them on. I did not divide mine like she did but did grow several from seed from the mother plants which I gave to my sisters, daughters, friends, and neighbors. Most people don't take care of them and soon lose them. Then they are amazed when they see mine in full bloom and want one. When I tell them I gave them one years ago, they suddenly develop amnesia. Now there are yellow ones, bi-colored ones, variegated leaves, and the breeding goes on. Butch Here is a picture of mine blooming:

Hi! My name is Karen and I've posted some questions on the geranium forum and got some good advice, but noone is terribly chatty over there so I was wondering if this is a good forum for me to join. Are you taking new members?? I'm in IL and we started over 700 (agh!)pelargoniums, or whatever they are called. We call them geraniums. Anyway, I was told to pinch and went to town and I hope I did it right because I have some sad plants. And it's about time to start hardening off...and I haven't a clue what I'm doing! We have two portable greenhouses outside with heaters in them and we put the impatiens and pansies, I think, in there. But the geraniums are inside under grow lights and in sunny windows (as sunny as it gets during the long awaited IL 'Spring' if that's what you call it!) Can anyone help me keep them alive?