1. Most of my pot plants are fully open now. As you can see I have a large proportion of yellows this year.

2. This is one of my best pots, the variety is Geoff Bizley, raised by Dave Coates. It is in an 8"20cm. pot and grown in Scotts Levington M3 Professional Compost, as are all my begonias.  The blooms in the centre are not fully open yet, so it could be at it's best next weekend.

3. The centre bloom of this plant of Vera Coates has already "blown" and will have to be removed. Luckily there is another bud behind it. But how many more flowers will be " over the top" by next weekend ? As blooms get past their best they become more fragile and consequently more liable to breaking off or petal drop in transit to the Show.

1. With two weeks to our Show the heatwave has in no way been conducive to favourable conditions, the first blooms are opening up but appear small on many plants.  

2. As the blooms open up the majority of varieties grown as pot plants need to have the blooms supported and lifted.       

3. I am using the excellent adjustable supports especially manufactured for our Society. Closed they measure 16" 41cm. and fully extended open up to 26" 66cm.  Although not visible in this picture there are another 5 buds, so given kinder conditions this would make a very nice pot plant.  The variety is Geoff Bizley, one of Dave Coates introductions.

1. With less than three weeks to our Show the buds are quite prominent now. Today I have pinched out all the growing tips and also removed a few almost open blooms. Each stem now has three buds remaining, the first of which is opening up. The plant top right is Stan Kirby, a tall yellow that I have not grown before.   

2. First buds are beginning to open. In an ideal world they would last fully open and at their best whilst the second bloom opens and the third and last bud on each stem is almost open. The current heatwave is not conducive to an ideal world!
The next stage will be to insert bloom supports where necessary.     

3. Recently I have been having problems with whitefly. With past experience of having spoilt foliage through spraying I have tended to leave the plants untreated, this has proved a mistake. Now as the flowering season approaches I can see the detrimental effect of this tiny pest. On some plants buds are limp, swollen and distorted. The only varieties affected are Coppelia, Fred Martin and Powder Puff, all white or cream based. Unfortunately all three are also my bankers. The reason for this problem, which I cannot recall having suffered in the past, is probably due to the exceptionally hot and dry condition of recent weeks. Now that it is too late for this season I have found a spray that does not harm foliage, it is Scotts Bug Clear.   

1. With four weeks to go and temperatures now back to normal for early July I am watering every other day with ¼ strength Chempak No. 4 (high potash) added to alternate waterings.   

2. Buds are starting to show quite prominently amongst the foliage now, the largest about 2", 50cm. I am still taking off the odd one in an attempt to have the plants at their best "on the day". I shall be stopping the pot plants (pinching out the growing tips) next week.  

3. Side buds are being removed, leaving the centre bud to develop.