LADYBUG SAYS ... BEGONIAS BLOOM AS YARD BEDDING PLANT

Hot, humid July weather the past week has been a test for heat-tolerant plants in our area. There are a few that are "bloomin' fools" in spite of the weather which causes adults to wilt, but in the sudden change to upper 90 degree temperatures, begonias, marigolds and vinca proved their love of the heat.

Come sun, shade, rain or shine the adaptable fibrous rooted begonia is sure to bloom. This warmth loving species can be found in native habitats around the world. Unlike many begonias this one does not have a true rest cycle, which means that blooms appear as long as heat is sufficient for the plant to produce buds.

Have you noticed when driving around Cape Girardeau how many yards are featuring begonias as a bedding plant? They used to be just potted house plants. The first I ever saw being used outside was in a public park in Rome, Italy, in 1965, and they were so unusual that we asked the guide what the new flower was blooming there.

Plant breeders have been improving begonias for well over 100 years. Now beautiful begonias are available in sizes suited for outdoor displays as well as compact containers. Blooms have continued to increase in size even for small plants. Red, white, rose, salmon and bicolored blooms ranging to two inches in diameter are now available.

Leaves of fibrous-rooted begonias are interesting with choices of red, bronze or green to contrast the blooms. It is said that the bronze leaf color has more resistance to the sun as the red pigment protects the leaf much as suntan cream protects human skin.

There are many interesting new varieties of these popular plants on the market, including the Pizzazz hybrids from Parks Seed Company. Their information states they have unmatched brilliance in the garden from spring until a hard frost. They come in red, deep rose, white and a soft pink.

Although it is possible to start begonias from seed, it is a slow process, not always successful, because they are so tiny, and quite expensive, so most gardeners let the professional growers start them and then purchase them at the beginning of the season when bedding plants are available.

Another plus for begonias is that cuttings may be taken during the growing year and new plants started. While in Atlanta recently I took cuttings from begonias on a beautiful border of begonias and vinca bordering the entire back yard of our daughter and son-in-law. The pink begonias have since rooted and been planted there among some white petunias and new purple salvia.

When the heat is on vinca loves it! Bring on the insects or diseases which attack other plants and vinca grows on and blooms on and on. These lovelies are finding their way into more and more gardens each summer because they are tough little guys.

The reason for their success story? Genes. Leaf genes programmed for resistance to dust, pollution and heat. Genes for stems and roots durable enough to make maximum use of minimum water. Genes for flower development which direct the vinca to increase bloom with every temperature rise.

Vinca's genealogical roots can be found in Madagascar. First discovered in areas where only the most durable survived, the vinca still has the hot weather resistance of its ancestors. Modern breeding technology has added large flowers colored in hues of pink, white and rose.

A new AAS 1991 Winner, (or winners) Pretty in Pink and Pretty in Rose were most outstanding last August at the Ball Field Trials in West Chicago, where they were displayed in both hanging baskets and as bedding plants. These beauties may be seen in our own All-America Selections Garden on the SEMO University Campus.

Not a common bedding plant, the creeping vinca stands only three to four inches tall in the garden, but they can extend their vining blooms over a full two feet of garden space. The most spectacular display of creeping vinca was planted between the sidewalk and the street around the governor's mansion at Springfield, ILL, when we visited there a couple of years ago.

It is hard to beat the versatile marigolds for foolproof beauty in the garden in the hot summertime. There are dozens and dozens of marigolds in all sorts of different flower types--single flowers, doubles, crested types, carnation-types, even delicate lacy flowers. As many of you know, who have read this column for a long time, marigolds are one of my favorite flowers. Today's modern beauties are a far cry from the original "Mary's Gold" which grew rank with smelly foliage, bloomed late and had insignificant yellow flowers.

Today's marigolds are divided into four basic groups--the dwarf French marigolds, the taller African marigolds, lacy fern-like signets, and the new class, the triploids.

Each group contains several different flower types, including, crested carnation, doubles, singles and many others. Each variety has many, many good characteristics including their resistance to heat, drought and disease. Burpee's has more than fifty choices in marigolds.

Have only touched on three of our heat loving annuals, but there are many many more, including the new lisianthus, portulaca, petunias, Gerbera daisies, lantana, salvia, zinnias, nicotinia, gaillardia, alyssum, glorisa daisy, cosmos, four o'clock, snapdragons, verbena and others.