Plant dahlias & begonias now
for a colorful impact this summer.

A beautiful garden starts with a well-organized cluster of mixed colors. Begonias and dahlias are a great answer. These hybrids offer lots of summer and fall blooms in almost every flower color.

Begonias, with their shrubby multi-colored foliage and saucer-sized flowers, practically burst with color. There are four popular varieties, each with unique characteristics...

• Ruffled Begonias , a cross between the old Camelia and Carnation types, show off layer upon layer of lovely, lace petals. They produce large 5"-9" blooms, which are pleasingly consistent from flower to flower.
• Rose Form feature symmetrical patterns not unlike a rose bloom.
• Hanging Basket Begonias produce large double blooms, which cascade in colorful waterfalls from your hanging baskets and window boxes.
• Picotee means "two colors", and these begonias present large ruffled double flowers with exquisitely patterned edges that are a contrasting color to the rest of the petal. It's quite a striking and beautiful effect.

Begonias prefer filtered shade and are heavy feeders so you must fertilize a lot. Use a low intensity complete fertilizer such as film emulsion (5-1-1) early in the season to get a large, healthy plant. When blooms appear, switch to a combination of 5-1-1 and a bloom fertilizer.

Dahlias are truly striking , thanks to their strong stems, long-lasting blooms and substantial attractive foliage. They thrive in sunny spots with sandy soil and good drainage. Plus they're at home in planters, containers and as specimen plantings. Best planted after frost is past and the soil is warm. You'll enjoy making great cut flower arrangements with Dahlias.

So have fun planting your dahlias and begonias now. And when planning your garden, remember to consider which colors naturally complement each other... like yellow with purple, orange next to blue, or scarlet beside white. This summer you'll be rewarded with flowerbeds full of outstanding color!

While much of the information in these tips is applicable in several gardening zones/climates, some of the plants and timing suggested are best suited to the Northwest, generally in the mild/wet growing regions found along the I-5 corridor. You should make appropriate adjustments or consult local gardening experts in regions whose climates differ from this area of the Northwest.