The origin of the begonia was at one time thought to be in Brazil, although some were found in Mexico at a much earlier date, furthermore the Chinese used them in the 14th century. A Franciscan monk, Charles Plumier, found fibrous begonias in Brazil in 1690 when he was searching for medicinal plants and named the plant after his favourite botanist, Michael Begon.

The begonia spread to Europe and beyond, and in 1856 orchids were shipped from India to England and among the orchids was a strange plant with interesting patterned leaves, thus a Rex begonia found its way to these shores.

Modern breeding of begonias has produced plants that can be planted in the sun although they were always primarily a shade-loving plant. Also many varieties have been bred to be tolerant to drought conditions, and of course there is a type of begonia for just about any type of garden in today’s market.

There are many plants that can be grown indoors just as successfully as outdoors in the garden; the geranium plant is now a common sight in the UK garden. Most plants that we commonly call geraniums are actually from a perennial family of plants called pelargonium, and originate from the southern tip of Africa, they can survive very warm temperatures to relatively low temperatures in fact just under freezing.

The geranium plant is an easy plant to take care of, they can be stored dormant in the winter to be regrown in the summer or they can be kept indoors and alive throughout the year, and look lovely on a window sill.

Geraniums make wonderful window box displays and a West and South facing windowsill is the best for ideal light, they are a plant that like to feed, so fertilizer is a must for their soil. Either use a fertilizer pellet, or add fertilizer into the soil. Fertilize once a month at least, and make sure the pot or window box you put them in drains well this plant thrives on soil that is dry in-between watering.

Gardeners in the UK will be sure to plant plenty of lavender, not only does it make a wonderful show, but the scent is lovely, the flower heads can be picked and dried out and used for all sorts of purposes, also these plants are often used in many dishes and offer a quite unique flavour.

A spokesman for Blooming Direct located on the island of Jersey said “there are many favourite plants and shrubs found in the UK garden, and a visit to our website will certainly open your eyes to what exactly is available, we have a Plant Finder tool, allowing you to search for garden plants by type, colour or season, as well as other special features. The plant finder will also help you identify plants suited to varying sun levels, soil types, orientation and garden locations. If you are gardening in the UK this is the tool that will help you choose what will thrive in your garden”.

For further information visit: www.bloomingdirect.com