Begonias may be a summer favourite, but gardeners should choose carefully as not all varieties do the same job.
Some are grown for their masses of colourful blooms, while others steal the show with striking foliage, and picking the right one can make all the difference.
Speaking to the Express from her stand in the Great Pavilion, she said some begonias can even cope outdoors through the winter in milder parts of Britain.
“Some varieties are almost hardy and can be grown outside. For foliage, Begonia ‘Benitochiba’ is lovely, or Begonia ‘Candy Queen’, which has beautiful pink leaves and looks really good outdoors,” she said.
“Those are just about hardy in London and the South East, so you can get away with them there, but further north they need a bit more shelter.”
For gardeners after flowers rather than foliage, she recommended choosing a tuberous variety and feeding regularly.
“Tuberous ones are the best for flowers. They would be good in a hanging basket, or tubs for summer flowers. Go for a colour you like and make sure you feed them well,” she said.
“One of the nicest is Begonia sutherlandii. It has lovely little orange flowers, very delicate small leaves, and it’s a species that originally comes from South Africa.
“It’s a beautiful variety.”