Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Whats happening in your neck of the woods? Ring out the old, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Ruby---

When I read your woes of losing plants like CC, the Purple passion, and the Pig's Ears--
the thought always goes through my mind that you may be over watering these. All the above like to go dry in between watering.
It is a known fact, that more people kill their houseplants with over watering...Give it some thought....
You can compensate for over watering by planting things in clay pots.

Re the AW Begonias, you can cut back the long stems any time. I just did on all my small pots and just stuck
the cut off piece in the same pot next to the other stems.
You can go the water route--rooting in water--or just in some nice, fresh, loose potting mix kept moist.

My BIG Mama AW is really doing horrible this winter. I have an idea why!
For one--last spring I should have un-potted the plant, picked through the roots and discarded the old ones.
Then, re-potted the fresher, stronger ones---and I did not. Just ran out of time. This always produces a
lush, new plant for the season.
Now the plant is a skeleton. It has dropped ALL leaves, except the tip ones. Will cut it back/down soon.
Another reason, it is sitting in a dark corner of my LR. Window space is non-existant here in the winter,
so I have to prioritize.

Here is my big Begonia taken some time in December...Just disgusting!!! Most of the leaves are now gone.

Aside from plants--I am seriously going through, and organizing my seeds for the Swap.
It came earlier than I had thought....was, mentally, thinking of end of the month.