8 Great Plants for Wow!

Start planning your warm-weather gardens now with a little help from an expert.

» From Southern Living

Joseph De Sciose and Allen Rokach

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Flower Power

Dragon Wing Hybrid begonia requires a little bit of faith on your part. When you buy it in a four-inch pot, it'll be all foliage and no flowers. But stick this plant in a flowerbed, hanging basket, or planter, and it will quickly blossom into a dense mound of lush, glossy leaves topped with red or pink blooms. True to its name, it loves summer's fiery weather. This plant won't stop blooming until an autumn freeze. Just give it moist, fertile, well-drained soil and filtered sun. It doesn't even have any serious pests for you to worry about. So just sit back, and enjoy the show.

Dragon Wing Hybrid Begonia
Type: annual or frost-tender perennial
Size: 12 to 15 inches tall, 18 inches wide
Light: filtered sun
Soil: moist, fertile, well drained
Water: regular