My New Begonias from Logee's Plants for Home & Garden

February 5, 2018

My New Begonias from Logee's Plants for Home & Garden

I am always on the lookout for new and unusual houseplants to add to my collection.

Recently, during a business day trip to Northeastern Connecticut, I made a stop at Logee’s Plants for Home & Garden in Danielson - one of my favorite sources for tropical specimens. Logee’s was founded in 1892 by William D. Logee. He started the business as a cut-flower shop and then expanded into begonias and tropical container plants. Over time, Logee’s became well known for its hybridizing achievements in the world of begonias. Today, Logee’s is owned and operated by Williams’s grandson, Byron Martin, and his business partner, Laurelynn Martin. Logee’s offers more than 1500 plant cultivars - most of which are all propagated right in its greenhouses. I have been going to Logee's for many years, and Byron has been a guest on both my television and radio shows. Here are some photos of the newest additions to my expansive collection - including one that is now very, very special and dear to me.

Enjoy these photos.

: I have known Byron Martin and Laurelynn Martin for many years. It is always so much fun to visit their wonderful nursery – I never leave empty handed.

: Logee’s has been hybridizing begonias for a long time. This is the inside of their giant energy efficient greenhouse.

: There were so many beautiful specimens from which to choose – I brought home quite a few to add to my collection.

: This is Begonia Pavonina. Given the right conditions, it is easy to grow. The leaves of this rhizomatous begonia average four to six inches long and have attractive, burgundy undersides. The top is normally a satiny dark-green, but appears iridescent in the right lighting due to the design of the leaf surface – when light hits the leaves from a certain angle, they light up with a shimmering metallic blue.

: The burgundy and green colors make Begonia ‘Emerald Wave’ a big favorite. The vibrant burgundy color is present in both juvenile and mature leaves and its striking color combination adds flair to any partially sunny windowsill.

: This Begonia ‘Kit Kat’ is spotted in chartreuse. It makes a pretty and unusual addition to any houseplant collection and is great for small spaces. It grows no more than six to eight inches tall.

: Here is a closer look at its decorative leaves. In winter, its flowers stand tall and mature into plumes of delicate, white-blushed pink blooms.

: Begonia ‘Northern Lights’ has golden-bronze, deeply spiraled leaves that change color with the seasonal light. Begonia ‘Northern Lights’ is one of Logee’s own hybrids.

: I love this whimsical looking Begonia ‘MySpecial Angel’, with its spotted leaves and green foliage. This delightful Begonia displays plump umbels of shell pink throughout the year.

: Begonia ‘Satin Jazz’ is a new rex begonia hybrid developed by begonia breeder, Mike Kartuz. It has dusty colors of grayish-green with striking maroon borders and deep red veining. Unlike many rex begonias it doesn’t go dormant in the winter so it provides year-round color.

: Foliage begonias, like rex begonias, are grown for their fancy leaves that have many beautiful colors highlighted by unusual markings and swirls in the foliage. They make a sensational statement when grown on a partially sunlit windowsill.

: This new and exclusive Logee’s rhizomatous hybrid is called Begonia ‘Autumn Crinkle’ and has unusual puckered, orange leaves with chocolate marked edges. The leaves have reddish undersides and pink flowers in springtime.

: Begonias grow best in warm temperatures when the minimum temperature doesn’t fall below 60-degrees Fahrenheit.

: Begonias should be grown in well-drained soil and it’s best to allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

: Rhizomatous begonias range from small, delicate plants with one-inch wide leaves to large, robust specimens with 12-inch wide leaves or more. The variety in their size and amazing color makes it such a popular houseplant.

: Begonias should be fertilized with a balanced liquid fertilizer during the active growing season in summer. Flowering begonias can benefit from pinching back long stems to encourage more side branching that increases the overall fullness.

: This is an elegant Begonia ‘Lime Royale’ – a winter blooming begonia with pink flowers that rise above the chartreuse-green foliage. This Logee’s hybrid was developed by Byron himself.

: This New Guinea species is called Begonia masoniana ‘Iron Cross’. Its leaves show thick, chocolate-brown markings resembling the German Iron Cross. This coloration is set against solid green with an overall coarse, pebbled texture.

: I also got some other pretty tropicals including the citrus in the terra cotta pot – Citrus ‘Buddha’s Hand’. It produces a large fruit with long protruding fingers and a thick rind. In the center is Passiflora ‘Sapphire’, a passion flower. And on the right, in the back, is Clerodendrum thomsoniae ‘Glory Bower’.

: I got three Ficus pumila quercifolia, miniature oakleaf fig. These are among the best miniature ground covers for container culture. This small version of the creeping fig is also perfect for terrariums and as a hanging plant – the vining stems spill over the pot’s edge forming a dense mat.