Plant of the week: Begonia
But this one is grown for its foliage, and it's a bit of a picky plant. It doesn't appreciate full sun and it demands very careful watering.
Even then, it can get all mardy and just turn up its leaves for no apparent reason.
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Hide AdBut get things just right and it will reward you with an all-year-round show of lovely foliage.
Give them somewhere bright but not hot and sunny; provide moist compost (a bit drier in winter); repot every year.
In winter, make sure that it's not stuck on the window sill behind closed curtains as the night-time temperature drops.
There are numerous varieties of foliage begonias, including this B Cleopatra, so you're going to be spoiled for choice.
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Hide AdWhen you find one you really like it's worth taking plenty of leaf cuttings to propagate new generations because for some reason indoor begonias can be short-lived – three years is often a ripe, old age – although I do know of one specimen which has grown and thrived for more than a decade.