Lettuce leaf begonia is a Rex begonia; this is one that my grandmother gave to me probably 40 years ago. It has survived severe neglect and abuse, as well as flush times. This one, as well as a Beefsteak Rex, has been with me through thick and thin. Newly married and living away from home in North Carolina, I had more than 50 potted plants in a small apartment. DH built me a wooden frame from 2x2's and hung a shop light on it over my plants. We had not much furniture and that spot of plants nestled together under a 4 foot light really brightened things up, I thought. I had an assortment of drip pans under the plants and plastic sheeting under the plants to keep water off the floor. Maybe it was not that beautiful, but I thought it was. I only had eyes for the plants, not the set up. But actually, I thought the setup was pretty grand, too. It enabled me to have houseplants in a dark location for about 5 years and brought me a lot of joy. Somewhere I have a (some ) pictures of that set up. If it was not so hard to locate.... Digital pictures are easier to locate but also easier to loose completely.
I love the photo of this begonia and the story associated with it. I am very happy to have discovered your blog. Thank you for linking to it from Dave's Garden.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you and yours.
Blessings,
Benny