BEAUTIFUL BEGONIAS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 2, 4 January 1932, Page 6

BEAUTIFUL BEGONIAS

AT BOTANICAL GARDENS

The begonias at the Botanical Gardens are attracting- much attention from. large crowds of visitors. The flowers will be at their best from not? until the second week in January. Among the flowers are the following five outstanding new varieties:— Louise Arnold.—A very large whits flower tinged with purple. The plant is of a dwarf habit, and is neat. It holds the award of merit of the Boyal Horticultural Society. The flower of this plant is at present BJin in diameter. Mrs. F. Hedges.—A flower unique both m form and colouring, resembling a tea rose with incurving petals, which, range from piak at the edge to glowinsr orange at the centre. Viewed from the side, this variety looks very like one of the new tri-coloured roses, only it is much'larger. The blooms are 7«al m diameter; ' ' : Buth Ward.—A begonia with blooms <in in diameter. The petals are beautifully waved, ana of a deep rose puA. colour. * Florence Bigland.—The flower of th* begonia is full and deep, and of a lovely apricot shade. G. J. Henderson.—This is one of the richest crimson' begonias that have yet flowered. The petals are prettily waved. Among the older varieties' which have done particularly well are the following:— Mrs. Reginald Caulfield.—Pour plants of this variety have at present more than sixteen blooms, per plant, and one plant has twenty-five. The blooms are of a lilac rose shade, with broad stout petals, slightly cupped. Lord Lambourne.—One of the finest and most outstanding varieties. The flowers are deep salmon-orange in colour, with lighter shades in the centre. In flower, this begonia has front eight to thirteen blooms per plant. Corientia.—The flowers of this begonia are a deep camellia shape, and. the colour of old rose. . Lady Ann.—This begonia is th« tallest variety in the housa, being 3ft high. The blooms ar« Si* in diameter and of perfect shape. The colour is described as a shade of rose. Mrs. P. Bedford.—This variety make,* a very fine sight. Two plants are bea* ing fifteen blooms each at present, and no bloom is less than 6in in diameter. The colour is a shade of blush, with salmon and flesh shading. Albatross.—This begonia is the fine/" white yet produced. The plants stand almost as high as those of Lady Ann. The blooms are of great size, and are pure white. Lady Ehondda.—This is a plant of dwarf habit, but it bears blooms Biia in diameter on stiff upright stems. la colour it is salmon pink, and the petals are 'heavily frilled. Hilda Langdon.—This begonia ii i% the form of a perfect rose, full anj deep, wii;h extra large petals. The colour is a lovely shade of i«s» piak. The blooms are 7sin in diao«tc«. With the exception of Mrs. KegiwSt Caulfield, these older varieties have the award of merit of the Eoyal Horticultural Society. * (To the Editor.) Sir,—Summer is here, and with it comes nature's beautifying work in the gardens. One of the most outstanding eights is the begonias in the Botanical Gardens. I have visited a number of gardens in various parts of the world, but never yet have I seen such a glorious sight as the begonias in the Begonia House. One is confronted with a veritable riot of colours. Hero indeed is nature in all its glory. The flowers look so real and yet so unreal, that one feels as if walking through an enchanted garden. How good it is to at least get away for an hour or two from the struggle for existence, from the artificial, hard surroundings of our everyday life, and enjoy some of the finer thmgs of life, to see something that one can appreciate, and some of the- things which this liurry and scurry world does not give us much time to study and enjoy.—l am, etc., THOMAS KELLY.