Writers, Mothers, and Begonias

This angel wing begonia is not growing up, as some do, but it leans from the weight of its row of wings.  It turns toward the west from its position in a hanging pot on my porch.  The foliage catches the light underneath the wings showing off a reddish color. This plant was given to me by a friend and colleague, Patricia Laster, a member of my critique group, Central Arkansas Writers.  The begonia was started from a plant that belonged to her mother.

Our mothers are no longer with us, but to honor their memory, both Pat and I still have some of the flowers our mothers once tended. So when Pat shared this plant with me, I was happy to look after it and soon it began to grow.

My own mother loved all kinds of flowers and could keep them growing with little effort, it seemed.  She definitely had a green thumb. Begonias and geraniums were some of her favorites. My mother passed away 35 years ago, and I still have two of her plants.  A Mother-in-law’s tongue and a Thanksgiving cactus.

Angel wing begonias are a great conversational piece, a lovely houseplant,  and can even prompt a writer to post it on her blog. 🙂

Do you have an angel wing begonia at your house?