Question
Hi, I have a plant that someone gave me because it was dying. I have brought it back to life but don't know name of plant or how to keep it growing. Here is what it looks like. It has long Pointy leaves with sharp points along side of leaf. The top color is green but the back of leaf is red. It has flowers which start off as 4 little pods to each flower and it is pink and red in color and when the grow they open up to a pretty pink cluster. I hope that is enough of a description. I would like your help in finding out this plants name. I have it growing in a large planter on my deck. Thanking you in advance for any help you can give me.

Answer
Thank you for the great description. You have given me enough information to give you the name "BEGONIA". There are many different varieties of these plants, so I am not able to tell you what the name of your red, and green leaf, with pink flowers is. But, because I have raised them for years, I can tell you how to take care of yours, and some more things you might want to know.
It is a house plant, but it will do best if kept outside in the summer. Place it on the east side of the house, with early morning sun, and shade the rest of the day.
It prefers bright light. The brighter, the better, but the sun will burn the leaves in the heat of the day.  The more light you give it, the more colorful the leaves, and the more flowers it will have.
The flower pods that you described are actually the male flowers, the large flower clusters are the female. The male flowers usually drop off just before the female flowers begin to develop. The first time I saw all of the flowers fall off, I thought I had done something wrong. Then when I saw it do the same thing every year, I realized that I didn't need to worry. But, like you, I didn't know what the plant was when I first got it.
Most of the begonias stay a fairly modest size, and won't need to be potted very often. When you get them up to the two gallon size, they will probably not need to be potted. But, if it is an "Angel Wing" begonia, it will get very large. I have one that is six feet tall, and six feet wide. I prune it back every year in the fall, because the old growth gets very brittle, and ugly. The new, young growth is thicker, and healthier looking. The flowers are usually on the new growth. I have the "Angel Wing" in a 20 inch container.
I only feed it in the spring, (around April) when the new growth starts. Because I am trying to encourage flowers, I use fertilizer that is less nitrogen, and more of the phosphorus, and potassium.  Like a 5-10-10. If you want to feed it later in the summer, pick a cool day between June 15th and August 15th. Then don't feed again, until Spring.
It seems to enjoy moist soil. But let it dry out some between watering, to let the oxygen back in the soil. Plants need oxygen in the soil to grow well. Too much water in the soil replaces the oxygen, and the plant drowns.
Don't let it get too hot, or too cold. Some where between 50 degrees and 90 degrees is best.
When you bring it into the house in the fall, put it where it will get plenty of light, and reduce the water to about half of what you were giving it. ( Just enough to keep it alive) Keep it away from drafts, or heat vents. If your furnace dries the air, put saucers of water around it to create humidity.
There are many people who collect Begonias because of their beautiful leaf color and the flowers. Some of the fancier leaf plants, don't flower as well as the the plain ones. Having a variety is nice, but with so many to choose from, it is probably best to pick a few favorites, and keep them healthy.
There are many books, and web sites on Begonias, so it will be easy for you to find more information, and answers to questions you might have in the future.