Barbie, all of my begonias do best under shifting shade (and I have a lot of them - thanks to the kindness and generosity of Hester, who got me started!) I have them all in pots underneath oaks and crape myrtles except for some hardy, tall pinks (Begonia coccinea) that I have growing in the ground in very well-protected beds. To all of them I have to regularly apply slug bait. I have found that many begonias enjoy morning sun. Some begonias will reluctantly tolerate direct afternoon sun but none of them prefer it. They tend to get sunburned leaves which you can tell from fried brown margins around the leaf edges and at the tips. The best performance comes from early morning sun or all-day shifting shade/sun.

When you water (all potted plants), always water until the plant is fully flushed out. That is, until water flows freely out of the bottom. Salt buildup occurs faster when you water in small sips and don't flush salts out of the bottom.

Good luck - Castaway is a beauty!

Carol in Jacksonville

Thanks Love....
I think I have egg all over my face for not reading the material available on FL gardening. It looks as if my begonias will have to live under the edge of the pittisporum for the duration of the summer where there is dappled shade.
Agree on Castaway,,,the pannicles are huge, profuse and so long lasting they're almost permanent. Reminds me of a Japanese painting.

No problem - we all are still learning. Believe me. :)

Carol