to avoid the algae ... you need a greenhouse setup ... you need to keep your media damp.. but not wet.. but provide ambient humidity to the babes ... i see all the towels.. i see plastic shelves??? ... but can you rig up some plastic sheeting.. to make a little greenhouse.. i would put the lights inside the tenting ... [you do have them under lights???] cant go any further w/out some pix of your setup ... when i used to do seeds.. i sterilized EVERYTHING.. all hardware in 10% bleach.. and all media per the link ... i just put a gob of media in a baggie.. dampened.. and nuked it until the baggie generated steam.. then set it aside.. until i used it.. i also used a dollar store turkey pan.. filled it with damp media.. and covered with alum foil.. like a giant jiffy pop .. and poked two holes.. and when it steamed.. or i smelled it.. i took it out.. and left it covered to cool for a few days ... there are tuberous begonia.. which would be insane to start from seed ... and there are the annual begonia.. which root in 15 mins.. if you can find an early stock of plants ... just buy a cell pack.. and make one inch cuttings.. and stick them in damp soil.. tented.. and they will root inside a few days/week ... sometimes.. buying one or two.. and making 100 out of them.. is a lot easier.. than messing with seeds for 45 days.. getting a plant to the size to get them outdoors ... i did such with impatiens, coleus, begonia ... and saved seed starting for the exotic stuff ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

There are many sites with pictures but no complete reference. Here are some that might help you: ABSASTRO Go to cultivars, alphabetical listing (the bad thing is you have to click on a name to see the picture - not the other way around but this is probably the best site) Antoon Dutch company with great rexes Booman The GAC series are here Japanese site Click on pictures to go to more pictures English site go to member's galleries Another English site a handful of rexes Lyndon Lyon Lots of rexes and finally the ABS site This could be better but....

Hi Ispahan..Thanks..Both Begonias were purchased from Logees.. www.logees.com After the first Begonia 'Fire Flush' was shipped, they emailed admitting to sending the wrong plant..If you check their site, they sell both Standard Fireflush, and Curly FireFlush. The picture and plant they sent me differ quite a bit..Even colors. The one on their site is lighter green, mine is dark. Its leaves are a lot curlier too. I don't know if they wrote mature height, but the one they sent is tall. Unless FireFlush grow several feet, plus, I can't see it changing by much.. Thanks anyway..I havent' written for the fact I emailed regardning another plant and that was never resolved. Since I do quite a bit of online ordering...this nursery will not get my business. Toni

helenh, What hosta place was it? There are a couple of places for hostas: Posted by MOimpatientgirl: "I second the vote for hostas, also possibly begonias. Believe it or not, mine always come back, yes the little cheap 6-packs from WM, as long as they are semi-protected by even just leaves from last fall. If you REALLY want motivation, you should visit the Garden of Dreams (AKA Honeybranch Cave), out east of Sparta. It's off of Hwy 14 right before the Christian/Douglas county line. There's a sign. Go down the gravel road a mile or two. They sell hostas and other stuff. But they have a really large area (several acres) that is terraced with every kind of hosta imaginable, plus lots of other stuff thrown in. Definitely made a hosta-believer out of me! I think they're pretty much always open, even though it might look like they aren't." Garden of Dreams at Honeybranch Cave, on Missouri 14 near Elkhead (22 miles east of Ozark). Sparta, MO 65753 Telephone: 417.683.3733 Owners Bill and Judy Roston Also Hilltop Gardens http://www.hilltop-gardens.com