After forgetting to order year after year, I finally did it this winter. Look what arrived in the mail last week!
Oh the suspense and the excellent packing!
Blackmore and Langdon's has quite a reputation in the world of tuberous begonias and the price of their tubers reflects that.
Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced bouquet!) from the BBC series "Keeping Up Appearances" would be delighted by the royal insignia on the invoice!
There are several grades of begonias, named varieties, exhibition quality, greenhouse quality, and bedding quality are a few of them. I got one named variety, a "super selected" variety and a collection of greenhouse quality tubers.
So, what's the experiment already, you may be asking.
I decided to see the difference in performance between the Blackmore and Langdon tubers and some bought at a local grocery store. I also ordered a few from Breck's Bulbs in Indiana at the same time as I ordered from B&L but they haven't yet arrived.
Size isn't necessarily an indication of performance (I know what you're thinking and you should be ashamed.) but here are a couple of side by side comparisons. Fred Meyer on the left, B&L on the right.
Again F.M. on the left, B&L on the right.
Tom is now calling the greenhouse the laboratory (with 5 syllables in a horror movie accent.) So here they are all potted up and labeled. Let's see if Blackmore and Langdon tubers are worth the price! Do you have experience in growing B&L begonias and if so, what is your opinion?
I must say how nice it is to have a greenhouse to start plants in. In previous years, the large pots of begonias brought up from the basement would be taking up every square inch of counter space in the kitchen.
That'll be very interesting to see if there will be a remarkable difference.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to find out!
DeleteWhat a cool experiment! I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I bet you were excited to see that box. I was just reading the Annie's Annuals catalog last night, and she has that 'Gene Daniels' Begonia for sale, the one that Riz used in his City Living showcase. It says it's a shrub Begonia, so probably not tuberous, but it's a beautiful leaf. And isn't having a greenhouse the best thing?
ReplyDeleteGene Daniels has stunning red backed leaves! I remember carrying a little one around Annie's during the SF fling but didn't get it because I thought it would be to fragile to make it in my suitcase. I was thrilled to find one at Hortlandia last year, which has lived outside in the summer, grew tremendously, has been potted up and could use it again, and has been blooming all winter in the greenhouse, never loosing a single leaf. It's a super plant that you would love!
DeleteOooo...can't wait can't wait...the la-bor-a-tor-y awaits Hyacinth Bouquet's final answer. Did I say that all right? :) Fun stuff, Peter, can't wait for your expertise in this field..I have one lowly tuber in a pot I got at Portland Nursery somewhere around here..I need a lesson in Begonia.
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the things I love about begonias, you don't have to know nuttin' to get them to grow. Most years, I just drag them in in the fall, cut the tops off and store them in their pots in the basement all winter. By about this time of year, they start putting on a little new growth, I pull them out of the basement, scrape a little dry soil off the sides of the pot, add some manure, and start watering. They like a bit of fish fertilizer every now and again or whatever you have on hand. That's all I know.
DeleteNice experiment Peter! Make sure they all get identical growing conditions, feeding, water, etc. Two words: timelapse video! :)
ReplyDeleteLove the timelapse video idea but am not sure how to do it. Your dirt moving video still makes me smile!
DeleteJust starting to get into begonias myself, mostly for the foliage and thanks to your influence. Thanks a lot...what I really needed was another plant obsession. Will be watching this experiment with interest, hoping Tom gets into the spirit of the thing and takes on the role of Igor.
ReplyDeleteYou're more than welcome! One can never have too many plant obsessions can one? Tom is very good at assisting in the laboratory!
DeleteI love a good experiment, what fun! Can't wait to learn along with you.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see if I can give them consistent care. Succulents and cacti are pretty cool because I can neglect them totally and they're still fine, kind of like cats. On the other hand, some plants really resent it if you don't water them for a month. What up with that?
DeleteSounds like a lot of fun! Regardless of the outcome - I'm sure you will get a lot of joy from this experiment.
ReplyDeleteIt will be fun and I can finally say that I got tubers from the famous Blackmore and Langdon which I've wanted to try for a long time.
DeleteAlthough tempted, I've never bought any of the B&L begonia tubers. Those prices - ouch! I'll be very interested to see the results of your experiment.
ReplyDeleteThe named varieties are very expensive but the greenhouse quality tubers are now on sale for about 20 dollars for six so it's a more affordable option.
DeleteThe begonia experiments is fun, but silly me, what I find so darn exciting is HRH, THE PRINCE OF WALES. I'm such an anglophile I get giddy just looking at the markings on the package. I'm getting on their site right now, maybe I'll find something to order too!
ReplyDeleteI must admit to having a bit of a crush on the British Isles and being very excited to see the queen's image on the package! Now is a great time to order. Although the named varieties are sold out, the others are on sale!
DeleteLa Bor' a tor y! I love experiments.
ReplyDeleteStand back, I'm throwing the switch!
DeleteWhat a good idea to compare brands, results will be interesting. I tried tuberous begonia first time last year and should find out soon if they came through winter in a box under the stairs.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with them all, here's to a wonderful display!
They are usually such easy care plants. I bet yours sailed through the winter and are now sending up new growth. (Assuming the stairs were inside, right?)
DeleteI've been fortunate enough to walk through the greenhouse at White Flower Farm in high summer where the B&L hybrids are displayed, and what drama ! No comparison with any tuberous begonia I've seen anywhere. Look forward very much to your experiment the la-bor-a-tree--
ReplyDeleteHow lucky you are! I'd love to someday visit White Flower Farm someday. Nice to know that you saw B&L Begonias and they were spectacular. That was my memory of the one I saw - very stout stem and huge flowers. On the B&L website, of course, there are only images of their own begonias so it's difficult to make a comparison!
DeleteThey will be gorgeous, I am sure. I have not grown tuberous begonias for years but as a kid I once got a big bag of the tubers and had a lot of fun growing them all over the terrace and garden.
ReplyDeleteI love and grow them every year and keep the tubers from year to year so with this addition, they'll be coming out my ears!
DeleteOh, I hope you keep posting as this experiment progresses!
ReplyDeleteMost definitely!
DeleteI' ve never actually tried tuberous begonias, but I shall be interested to see the result of your experiment.
ReplyDeleteThey have a special place in my heart because they grew so well in my Alaska garden and are fairly easy. I do well with plants that aren't too demanding.
DeleteThe B&L bulbs look most impressive. I would be surprised if they don't outperform the others in a big way. Sometimes price really does mean quality, at least when it comes to bulbs.
ReplyDeleteI've always had great luck with inexpensive tubers so am looking forward to seeing what happens with really special ones!
DeleteMy mom frequently grows Tuberous Begonias and has had great success with them. They look so rich and voluptuous to me. Often the colors are so saturated and soft. Good luck with your new treasures!
ReplyDeleteI agree about their rich and voluptuous look. They punctuate my mostly foliage garden like exotic jewels in their green settings.
DeleteI'm very curious to see how your fancy schmancy toobers do. As for performance, I've always found an enthusiastic Bravo! often leads to a fabulous encore. ;o)
ReplyDeleteI hope to save the fancy schmancy rooty blobs for years to come as the extravagance of buying new ones from B&L each year wouldn't be a wise move for my garden budget.
DeleteExcited to see this side by side test play out! I bought one Begonia tuber last week - a red one with very pretty leaves.Other than the B. luxurians you gave me last fall (can't wait to move it outside) - it will be a first for me!
ReplyDelete