GBBD: Hanging On

Photo of Fuchsia 'Hawkshead' blooming in mid November

The blooms at VP Gardens are breaking all kinds of records this month, with all of my late season perennials hanging on and flowering in profusion. My garden's had just one slight frost so far this autumn, which hasn't been enough to bring these plants to their knees.

I've been meaning to tell you all about my favourite fuchsia for quite a while, but I never imagined a November Blooms Day would be the ideal time to fulfil that promise. In most Novembers, the pictured blooms would be a soggy, brown looking mess by now.

I adore the elegant simplicity of Fuchsia 'Hawkshead'. Its porcelain white flowers remind me of dainty ballerinas dancing across the stage. They're a more delicate looking form which belies their hardiness. I see the common name for this species is Lady's eardrops, and I've often thought the flowers would make great earrings.

I forgot to prune the branches down to the ground in the spring and my neglect's been rewarded with the most prolific flowering yet. It seems this and its other hardy F magellanica cousins can withstand this treatment. In time they may become a bit woody and outgrow their allotted space, but I've found the 'rule' regarding annual pruning can be disregarded for a good 2-3 years.

Elsewhere in the garden I still have salvias and dahlia flowers a-plenty and it looks like it'll be a while before I need to bring out the dahlia duvet. 2014's record breaking warmth continues...

How's your garden this month?

Garden Bloggers' Blooms Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Comments

  1. Your Fuchsia looks fantastic. I had one long time ago, but after a cold winter... Have a nice Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Groetjes from Holland,

    Hetty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Hetty - these are very hardy fuchsias, so have survived many a cold winter here thank goodness.

      Delete
  2. Your fuchsia Hawkshead is looking so pretty with its lovely flowers, I have one F. Whiteknights Blush which has the same dainty flowers but is slightly more pink. Another, F.Delta Sarah is still flowering away but that has big blowsy flowers, more like a tender fuchsia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Pauline - I have 'Delta Sarah' too - it surprised me this year by surviving the winter outdoors in its tiny pot. I must remember to put it into my cold frame this year.

      Delete
  3. How nice to be enjoying your fuchsia so late in the season. Cannot grow here although I see the odd one in the nurseries. I hope the polar vortex doesn't come your way and spoil things. Happy Bloom day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome Rock rose! No doubt the polar vortex will head our way soon. However, I seem to remember the really harsh winter your side of the pond last year, was part of the explanation of why our winter was so mild, so you never know what might actually happen!

      Delete
  4. Beautiful!
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
    Lea

    ReplyDelete
  5. That Fuchsia does look elegant Michelle!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh most pretty VP. I have a similar fuchsia which did not drop all its leaves last winter and was absolutely dripping with flowers by the second week of May. I wondered whether there would be any flowers come autumn when it's usually reliable for late colour. It is amazingly still in flower and although there the blooms are sparser than earlier in the year I appreciate them even more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anna - mine kept some of its leaves last winter too - certainly gave it a head start this year. I don't have 'Hawkshead' in its ideal spot.

      Delete
  7. What a pretty Fuchsia Hawkshead is. I love the expression Dahlia Duvet. That is just what I do with my dahlias. I make a duvet out of layers of newspaper with compost on top.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Excellent Chloris. My duvet usually contains shredded dahlia stems as well - I always have a chuckle about cannibalism when I tuck the tubers up for the winter ;)

      Delete
  8. That fuchsia is gorgeous, it's one of my favourites as well. Everything here is sodden and pretty much over. I need a dry spell to do some tidying though, especially at the allotment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I need to tidy up at the allotment too CJ - can't see it happening for a while as the ground's too sodden.

      Delete
  9. I love Hawkshead! I don't have it yet, but I agree with what you said about pruning the magellanicas. Ignoring them has its own reward. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't remember seeing many fuchsias around Portland Ann, but I suspect they'd be a hummingbird magnet if they were?

      Delete
  10. It is very pretty indeed ready for a starring role in Swan Lake.

    It has been the most extraordinary season. Not a single frost here in the Heat Puddle. It doesn't seem quite right to walk past a front garden full on Red Hot Pokers in the middle of November.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree Colleen - it felt most weird planting up my winter pots whilst wearing a T-shirt!

      Delete
  11. That is a lovely Fuchsia. Like you, we are enjoying plants out of season. Long may this wonderful autumn continue!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's amazing how long this is carrying on Sarah. Dare I dream of fuchsias in December?

      Delete
  12. My Fuchsia Hawksheads are still flowering away too, as are several Calendulas and a big burgundy Hollyhock, there is a single confused flower on my Lavender, and my Papaver Rupifragum is just coming back into flower, apparently under the impression that it's May. Like you we've had just one slight frost and it's great gardening weather!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It sounds like you've been having a great time in your new garden Juliet. I've seen a number of people comment about various Papaver flowering again this month.

      Delete

Post a Comment

I love hearing from you and welcome thoughtful conversations :)

Comments aiming to link back and give credence to commercial websites will be composted!

Your essential reads

Jack Go To Bed At Noon

Salad Days: Mastering Lettuce

Testing Times: Tomatoes

Things in unusual places #26: Rubber Ducks

Chelsea Fringe 2014: Shows of Hands - Episode I

Merry Christmas!

The Resilient Garden

#mygardenrightnow: heading into summer with the Chelsea Fringe

That blue flower: A spring spotter's guide

Introducing the #mygardenrightnow project