Note: October meeting will be on the third Monday of the month.
A plant raffle or auction, plant exchange, information about begonias and upcoming events, official society business, refreshments, door prize, and program are offered.
Doors open at 6:15 pm and the business meeting starts at 7:00 pm unless otherwise noted. Meetings typically adjourn by 9:00 pm.
Guests always welcome and encouraged.
Starting Begonias from Seed
Dale Sena
VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE everyone, try to arrive at Mounts for our meeting by 6:30 p.m. so that we can begin our business meeting promptly at 7:00 p.m., program at 7:30 p.m., and adjourn by 9:00 p.m.
Member Dale Sena will lead a presentation and workshop on Starting Begonias from Seed. (Please recall Sandy's email of March 23 asking you to collect and bring to our meeting in a ziploc bag, dried seed pods from your begonias — they do not have to be separated or named.)
This is our last meeting before Mounts' Spring Plant Sale and we will ultimately determine by the number of volunteers available whether to have a booth there. Please volunteer your time for this opportunity to show off begonias to our community. And while we're talking about showing off, if you have a begonia or other favorite plant to show, consider entering the Boca Raton Garden Club Flower Show taking place the weekend before the Plant Sale. For more information, speak with Rebecca Stallard and Nancy Cavnar at Monday's meeting.
Items on the meeting agenda include:
- BSPB participation in Mounts Spring Plant Sale (set-up Friday April 26 thru teardown Sunday, April 28),
- Our efforts to have a memorial marker in the Begonia Garden for members who have recently passed away including Donnie Brown, Virginia Jens, Nancy Cohen, Charles Jaros, and Ed Whalen,
- Plans to visit Doug Pridgen as a group in June,
- Future programs — who, what and when, and how to improve presentations,
- Official business of changing our chapter's fiscal year to mesh with that of American Begonia Society, and
- Boca Raton's Flower Show (check-in plants Friday, April 19).
One last BONUS: Sandy purchased some (now looking great) Begonias at Costco on the cheap and will re-sell them for $4 each. We'll draw tickets to determine order of choosing.
Tour of plants on the "In Search of Small Things" website
Emily of "In Search of Small Things"
VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE everyone, try to arrive at Mounts for our meeting by 6:30 p.m. so that we can begin our business meeting promptly at 7:00 p.m., program at 7:30 p.m., and adjourn by 9:00 p.m.
Emily of In Search of Small Things will give us a tour of her plant collection which she sells on her website. She has many rare begonias and other plants and specializes in species begonias for the terrarium. She is often the first vendor to stock some of the newly discovered species or hard to get species. She is also just a phenomenal grower. We will be able to ask questions about her techniques and generally pick her brain. This will be one not to miss. Her shop is located at In Search of Small Things Shop
The business of the day will include a recap of our successful work day at Mounts' Begonia Garden in February. In addition, we will discuss the upcoming Spring Plant - A - Palooza sale. The sale will take place the last weekend of April (Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28). Clear your calendar for this great plant acquisition event. We will need everyone's help to make our weekend a success and hopefully meet and greet some new prospective members at our booth. We'll be selling begonias and perhaps giving demonstrations...who knows.
Growing Begonia Terrariums Without a Terrarium
Peggy Nguyen
VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE everyone, try to arrive at Mounts for our meeting by 6:30 p.m. so that we can begin our business meeting promptly at 7:00 p.m., program at 7:30 p.m., and adjourn by 9:00 p.m.
Peggy is a very talented grower and has grown many begonias that have won blue ribbons, including at the Philadelphia Flower Show. She really studies the science behind growing and through trial and error has found a way to grow her humidity-loving begonias without a terrarium! In Philadelphia!! This should be very relevant to us in South Florida, where we should not have to try as hard.
Also, please come with your seed list if you want to order from the French Seed Fund - Seed Fund List.
Has everyone updated their ABS membership? If not, please go online at ABS Membership and pay your national club membership fee ASAP. (You will have to log in and set up a password if you've never done so).
American Begonia Society Archives Video on Hybridizing
Rick Schoellhorn
VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE everyone, try to arrive at Mounts for our meeting by 6:30 p.m. so that we can begin our business meeting promptly at 7:00 p.m., program at 7:30 p.m., and adjourn by 9:00 p.m.
This is not a technical “how to” program; but rather, one given from a beginner's viewpoint. There will also be photos from Rick's (amazing) begonia garden. Rick was a beloved member of the ABS community who passed away November 25, 2023. You will find a tribute to Rick in the latest issue (Volume 91, Jan/Feb 2024) of The Begonian (page 6).
Speaking of beloved members passing, we were taken by surprise at the news of our own Donnie Brown's pancreatic cancer. She passed away on Friday, December 22. Several of our members visited with Donnie during her brief stay in hospice, and she was quite happy for the company. Donnie was the BSPB President only a few years ago. As many of you may know, she has been active in numerous plant societies over the years, including being the President of more than one. In addition, she was a proud Master Gardener with the Palm Beach County Extension Service. The Evening Herb Society was one of her all time special loves, as was the Begonia Society. We are lobbying for a begonia to be named in Donnie's honor. Hopefully, it will be one that is not too finicky, and will flourish for us here in South Florida where it can be planted and cared for in our Begonia Garden at Mounts.
January 13 will be a Garden Work Day at the Begonia Garden at Mounts Botanical Garden.
Looking ahead, we expect to have programs on terrariums in February and starting Begonias from seed in March or April. In addition, we plan to visit Doug Pridgen in late May or early June.
Please visit the Events page for information about other exciting events happening in the next few months.
We plan to put together a group seed order from the French Begonia Society Seed Fund - Seed Fund List. Please look it over and think about which ones you may wish to order. We want to submit the order as soon as possible so we will be ready to start the seeds before the heat of summer sets in.
Has everyone updated their ABS membership? If not, please go online at ABS Membership and pay your national club membership fee ASAP. (You will have to log in and set up a password if you've never done so).
Holiday Party with Begonia Bingo
Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.
Together we will share another outstanding holiday feast followed by our much anticipated (if not agonizing) Begonia Bingo. As usual, we will play Bingo until everyone wins. Then, we will play additional games in hopes of winning even more begonias.
Please contact Nancy Cavnar (561)706-5749 to let her know what you will bring.
Note from our President, Rebecca Stallard - I am so thankful to be with you all. You are so generous in spirit and action. I will bring the turkey and gravy. I have white table covers, the holiday ribbon I bought last year and the large balls. I will bring cut palm fronds. If you have other plant material from your yard or decorations, please bring.
If you are available to help with set-up and decorating, please come to the Mounts Auditorium at 5 p.m.
We will also swear in our new officers.
Sandy will collect membership dues from those members who have December renewal dates. If you haven't yet renewed your American Begonia Society (ABS) Membership, please do so before December 31. ABS asks everyone to renew their ABS membership online at ABS Membership . (You will have to log in and set up a password if you've never done so).
Let's be thankful we have such good friends to help us welcome the holiday season and celebrate Begonia Society traditions.
Propagation of Begonias
Johanna Zinn
Johanna is Chair of Judging, and Co-Chair of the Save Our Species Program. She has won many blue ribbons as well as ABS service awards. We look forward to her sharing her expertise.
Please bring leaves you want to propagate and a few to share! Everything else for propagation will be provided.
Also at this meeting we will vote to approve the slate of officers for the next term. Secretary is still open. Please give Sandy Sklar a call if you would like to take on this position. (Sandy's cell: 561 889-4291) We are a small but mighty group, and need someone to step up to help fill out the roster. You should know that members are always willing to fill in if you can't make it to a meeting, so it won't be an overwhelming commitment. Thanks for giving it your attention!
Lastly, we will begin planning our December holiday party. Think about what you may want to bring so you can let Nancy Cavnar know. (A sign-up sheet will be circulated.)
U-numbered Begonias
Don Miller via Zoom
Don knows so much about Begonias; surely, we can ask him for answers to our many questions on growing, propagating, etc. Make a note of the U-numbered Begonias in your own collection currently, and perhaps check the old labels of ones no longer alive. We can compare notes!
Don has a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He has worked in sales and as a buyer for retail nursery North Haven Gardens in Dallas where they specialized in Begonias. He also worked for Steve's Leaves, an on-line nursery that also specializes in Begonias. He continues working part time at Steve's Leaves and volunteering with the Begonia species bank at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens in Texas, which has the largest collection of Begonias in North America. Don has been growing and studying Begonias most of his life, collecting Begonias in the jungles of Ecuador and Malaysia, and visiting botanical gardens around the world. Don has presented many wonderful programs in recent years, including: "Bonsai Begonias", "Begonias, the Beautiful Herb - Begonias for Food and Medicine" and most recently, "The History and Growing of the Beautiful Cane-Like Begonias."
We are due to hear the nominees for our next slate of officers, and there is still an opportunity for someone to offer to fill the position of Secretary. If you have not yet held an office and are willing to get your feet wet taking minutes for the group, we will be eternally grateful. Feel free to contact me (Sandy, 561 889-4291) before the meeting to learn more, or to make me an offer I promise I won’t refuse.
Meeting Cancelled
Sell, Share & Swap
The Membership
It is suggested that each member bring at least three contributions for the party. So it's time to gather up your plants and excess gardening paraphernalia, and then on Monday we'll see what treasures we will all take home.
Remember, we are also having a pot luck dinner, so please bring a dish to share. If you are able, try to arrive at Mounts early to help set up (moving and covering tables, setting up the tables for dinner items). We will try to start dinner by 6:30 p.m. If you have questions about what to bring, call Nancy Cavnar, our Hospitality Chair. And, if you can, please stick around to help with clean-up after the meeting.
Rex Begonias
Howard Huang
"Howard Huang has been a member of the Potomac Begonia Branch, led by Johanna Zinn, since 2018. He enjoys growing a variety of begonia cultivars and species, and sharing them with other begonia lovers. In his limited spare time, Howard enjoys learning more about begonia species and experimenting with ways to grow trickier species like B.darthvaderina." Lois adds: "He is one of the nicest and most generous people you will ever meet."
Kristin Fleming's program on growing begonias in terrariums will be rescheduled. With summertime being quite challenging for some begonias, especially Rexes, learning more about Rexes may offer us greater insight. After all, Rexes are one parent of many of our favorite hybrids.
ABS Conference in Texas Review
Frances and Lois
We have some fun in store - Frances and Lois brought back goodies from the ABS Conference in Texas and will present a program on that event.
They brought back plants from the plant sale for everyone, and lots of leaves and cuttings from the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens to share.
How to Grow and Show a Blue-Ribbon Begonia
Betsy Szymczak
We are so excited to have the one and only Betsy Syszymczak speak to us via Zoom live about growing begonias for show. Even if you do not enter shows, this talk will help you grow a better begonia.
Betsy is very accomplished. Below are some of her achievements:
- Accredited Judge:
- American Dahlia Society,
- American Begonia Society (ABS),
- Gesneriad Society.
- ABS Judging Co-Chair,
- Massachusetts Certified Master Gardener,
- Garden Consultant – National Garden Club,
- Retired professor in clinical microbiology.
Mounts Spring Plant Sale Review
We have some wonderful plants left over from the Mounts Spring Plant Sale to share with you at discounted prices.
It was a bit of an adventure for everyone who volunteered, but particularly for Frances and Leslie who were on duty first thing Sunday morning when the weather got spicy. They will tell you all about it.
Photos of the Philadelphia Flower Show
Lois Petzold
Lois will share her photos and insights from this winter’s Philadelphia Flower Show.
Additionally, Lois will judge the Zumba plants she gave out months ago. So, if you’d like them to be judged, bring them on Monday and make sure she cannot tell whose is whose. (Maybe place your name on the bottom of the pot.)
Information about entering terrariums at the Wellington Garden Club Every Day... Earth Day event on April 22 has been added to the Events page. Sandy will bring a tip sheet and Lois may be able to add additional tips.
At the meeting, we’ll also discuss our booth at the Mounts Spring Plant Festival and Sale. It will be a fun weekend at Mounts!
As always, there will be refreshments, and friends are always welcome! We hope to see YOU there!
Epiphytic Plants of the South Pacific
Palmer Crippen
Palmer will take us on a tour through the rainforests of the South Pacific to observe the “the incredibly unique and bizarre world of Epiphytic Ant Plants. We will be discussing the wide diversity of these living, symbiotic ant homes, as well as their native habitats and cultivation. The presentation will feature rarely seen photos of these elusive plants in the wild.”
Palmer Crippen is a horticulturalist and nurseryman based in West Palm Beach, Florida. He received a B.S. in Plant Science and a B.A. in Visual Arts Studies from the University of Florida in 2020. He is an avid collector of strange exotic plants, specializing in succulent caudiciforms and non-orchid epiphytes. He is the founder of Palmera Plants, a small nursery operation that sources plants from his personal collection and sells them online and at local festivals. He works as a horticulturalist at Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach, Florida where he is responsible for the upkeep and design of several areas of the garden, such as the Vegetable Garden, Cottage Garden, and Tropical Forest.
As always, there will be refreshments and friends are always welcome! We hope to see YOU there!
ABS Video and Begonia Auction
Lois Petzold
We will enjoy a short ABS program on the International Begoniaceae Database and then on to the mini auction!
For our mini auction, VP Lois Petzold made a trip to Harmony Nursery to fetch some new plants to add to our collections. The hybridizers at Harmony have gotten psyched about canes recently, and have begun a vigorous breeding program to develop new ones to satisfy a growing demand. Lucky for us, what they showed Lois were NEW *PREMIUM* canes, including one Super Premium Cane that Lois is particularly excited about called ‘Night Wing’ that has exceptionally long leaves. There will also be some small rhizomatous begonias and some massive baskets of a new, spectacular cross between a rhizomatous and a Rex that will have greater heat tolerance and may be able to weather our South Florida summer!
Also on the meeting agenda is a discussion of our Saturday, February 18 Workday on the Begonia Garden at Mounts (Mounts staff member Palmer Crippen will meet us there to offer his skills and insight) as well as the opportunity to have a booth at Mounts Spring Plant Sale (April 29 & 30). We plan to produce a beautiful educational display to increase the club’s visibility at the Mounts Spring Plant Sale.
As always, there will be refreshments and friends are always welcome! We hope to see YOU there!
How to Use the International Database of Begoniaceae + Begonia Auction
Program Presenter: Australian hybridizer Ross Boswell
First, we will watch the 36 minute presentation, "How to Use the International Database of Begoniaceae" by Australian hybridizer Ross Boswell. Ross created and maintains this database so we will get info straight from the source. How many of us are familiar with this database? Vice President Lois Petzold assures us that it is a super useful tool and this is a great chance for us to learn about it together. Website Link: International Database of Begoniaceae.
Next, we will have a BEGONIA AUCTION! This is not just any auction--it will include rare canes from Harmony! These are the more recent, premium hybrids that go for a pretty penny online, that is, when you can find them.
We treasure these opportunities to learn about and add new hybrids to those we already have, so please join us for this special treat.
Remember that friends are always invited.