Among the begonias I planted last Spring are those I put in hanging baskets consisting of a basket perhaps eight inches in diameter with four strings about a foot long joining at a hook above the basket so that the basket can be hung in the air. I first became acquainted with hanging plants as a child growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area where hanging baskets of fuchsias were common. My attempts at growing fuchsias in Maryland failed—the climate’s not right for them. So over the years, I tried various other flowering plants in hanging baskets. This year for the first time, I tried red begonias. Even though they don’t trail over the side of the pot and hang below it, the hanging pots of begonias make for a handsome display.
The inside of my house has a series of places where I can hang the baskets to create a winning show of color. Their presence is festive and bright. When company is expected, I use the baskets to spark up the house.
When frost comes, it will kill the begonias. But I plan to bring in the four hanging baskets and many more begonias in pots to brighten my house during the winter. I can put them by a window where they’ll get some sun. How long they’ll last and whether they’ll go on blooming remains to be seen.
Tom Glenn, Writer 