Peter G. Sharp, a retired Major from the Australian Army, and his wife Shirley, began growing begonias as a hobby. After over 20 years experience with these plants, he wrote Growing Begonias which was published in 1998 by Kangaroo Press (from Australia). The book is available in the United States from Cloudy Valley Nursery
Growing Begonias was written with the beginner in mind. The book is divided into six parts. One thing that really impressed me is the logical organization of the book. The general topics flow in a natural way that makes the book easy to read. Let's take a look at the contents of each major division.
Part 1: Chapter 1 presents the early history of begonias. Apparently, Begonias were known to the ancient Chinese. Europeans were not introduced to this plant genus until the plant collectors of the 19th century began returning home with these plants. Be sure to study this chapter if you want to learn how to distinguish Begonias from other plant genera. Sharp describes nine groups of begonias in Chapter 2. It is important to determine which group a species belongs to in order to provide proper care for the plant.
Part 2: Chapters 3 through 6 discuss the basics of growing begonias which can be generalized across all the groups. He talks about selecting growing areas, type of media to use, fertilizers, and general maintenance of begonias, dedicating a single chapter to each topic. Every gardener would profit from reading Chapter 5 on Fertilizers. Sharp explains the purpose of each nutrient needed and how to recognize signs of deficiency of each nutrient in a plant. This is one of the most concise but accurate presentations I have seen on this topic.
Part 3: This section dedicates a chapter to each of the 9 groups of Begonias. Within each chapter you'll find how that group is distinguished from other groups, a discussion of where they will grow best, cultivation tips applying to that specific group and a listing of some recommended varieties within that group. Sharp divides Begonias into these groups: rhizomatous, rex, semperflorens, cane-like, shrub-like, thick-stemmed, trailing/scandent, tuberous, and elatior Begonias.
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