Slang phrase gives begonias a memorable name

Back in the day, before the 1990s Sopranos, before the 1972 film “The Godfather,” the 1958 Pat Cooper movie “The Italian Wedding,” used the remarkable phrase “Bada bing, bada boom,” meaning “Long story short” or “There you have it.” Bada bing bada boom is a popular East Coast slang phrase used to wrap up a story.

And what fun in the garden with two new begonias: Bada Bing and Bada Boom (Begonia semperflorens). Bada Boom begonias are just the same as Bada Bing begonias, except with bronze leaves.

These begonias are an early-blooming mix in shades of red, white, pink and rose. The low-growing plants are well branched with dark-green leaves and bloom heavily all summer. They will do well in full sun or light shade and grow into a tidy clump 8-10 inches high, spreading 10-12 inches wide.

These make stalwart bedding plants and are especially useful to grow in dry areas as well as in more formal plantings. You can create a small hedge of begonias to outline your flower beds or line walkways and paths. You can buy starter plants at most garden centers or nurseries, or grow them yourself from seed.

To grow from seed, start indoors several weeks before your last frost. Because seeds need light to germinate, do not cover them, just scatter them on the soil surface. Use a good sterilized seed starter mix. It will take just 14-16 weeks from planting seeds until they bloom.

After your Bada Bing Bada Boom begonias get established, let the plants get slightly dry between waterings. You can fertilize once a month with a good liquid organic fertilizer. The best soil acidity to grow Begonia x semperflorens is between pH 5.5 and 6.5.

Once they take hold, wax begonias adapt to almost any soil and a wide range of light conditions, from full hot sun to light shade. The bronze-leaved varieties such as Bada Boom will grow better in the hottest, sunniest part of your yard. To prevent diseases, always grow begonias where they will not get drenched by sprinklers. Try to avoid wetting the leaves. To keep roots cool and conserve moisture, apply a mulch throughout the summer.

Luckily, begonias are not bothered much by browsing deer and munching rabbits.

When summer is over your Bada Bing/Bada Boom wax begonias can also thrive as houseplants. To grow them as potted indoor plants, use a light, fast-draining, general-purpose potting soil.

Place your indoor Bada Bing Bada Boom begonias where they will get lots of light, such as a south-facing window. You can also use grow lights indoors, being sure the plants get 10 to 12 hours of light.

Plant Bada Bing or Bada Boom begonias for a summer of effortless flowers. And remember the mugshot inside the Sopranos’ Bada Bing Nightclub? It showed a 23-year-old man whose crime was seducing a married woman – Frank Sinatra! Bada bing, bada boom.