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Begonias: Novel Grown and New Introductions from Australia
June 5, 2019 @ 7:00 am PDT
Mike has been growing and collecting begonias since 1961, when he bought his first begonia while still in high school in Ventura. After working in Hawaii driving a backhoe and planting palm trees, it dawned on him that he wanted to be in the plant business so he returned to the mainland. He intended to open a store in Ventura. But by pure luck he found the perfect place in Montecito and opened Gazebo Plants in 1973 in the Upper Village on East Valley Road.
After selling the nursery and florist shop in 2016, Mike is now retired and travels often to see the great gardens of the world. He also has a collection of 500 begonias at his Mission Canyon home.
Mike has won numerous awards for his begonias at national begonia conventions, including Hybrid Begonia of the Year, the Scottish International Begonia trophy, two Sweepstakes awards, and Best Display at the national American Begonia Society convention four times. He is currently the President of the Rudolf Ziesenhenne branch of the American Begonia Society of Santa Barbara and the national MC for the American Begonia Society.