Titanarum

I don’t have many house plants. I used to have succulents, tradescantea, spider plants, and ferns to mention a few. Most of them were given up for adoption when I acquired my allotment some 7 years ago. Others died from neglect or over watering. Apart from the freesia bulbs (more of soon) and a rosette shaped succulent I only have one other plant left on the window sill: a begonia rex. This plant was adopted by me from an emigrating friend two years ago. She had had it on her south facing windowsill for 6 or 7 years and I was keen to have it because its leaves were a luminous, bright orange red. The photo shows a cousin from a garden centre but the colour is nowhere as amazing. And that is the problem with my plant too. The colour has turned unremarkable. I have a theory, though. The colour was a result of extreme nutrient deficiency, thirst and lack of space for the roots. The first thing I did upon taking it home was to re pot it in fresh soil: big mistake. Secondly, I gave it too much room to grow. Thirdly, the ample pot now means it is rarely thirsty. Since deciding that my goodness of heart was to blame for it turning ordinary I have made a point of neglecting it. The pot is still too big, but give it a few years and my begonia rex will shine once more.