GBBD: Fine Fuchsias

This spring, I was surprised to find some of my hardy fuchsias hadn't survived the harsh winter, even though some of the more tender plants like my in-ground dahlias and potted olive tree had.

Usually when I lose a plant, I treat it as an opportunity to try something else. After all, there are so many more I'd like to grow than there's room for. However, my Fuchsia 'Garden News' worked so well in my lower terrace bed I decided to replace it with one I found at the Malvern Spring Show. There's not that many hardy fuchsias with a double form and this one flounces its skirts so prettily. It's also good at arching itself over the wall which makes it particularly noticeable when taking the side path down into the garden.


On the upper terrace bed Fuchsia magellanica 'Versicolor' has grown particularly tall this year, despite its slow start after the winter. The flowers of magellanica type fuchsias always remind me of earrings. These are also providing a welcome splash of red amongst the mainly green or decaying foliage surrounding them.

The large terrace bed is home to Fuchsia 'Genii'. Its foliage hasn't quite been so garish this year - perhaps another consequence of the harsh winter and slow start to the season - and is lit up rather nicely by the sun's more slanted rays at this time of the year.

I have more surviving fuchsias elsewhere in my garden, but the ones in the terrace beds were looking at their best in the morning light when I took my camera for a walk. They may have been later to flower this year, but the unseasonably warm weather we've had over the past few weeks means they've still managed to have a long flowering season.

Just one sharp frost and all this will be gone...

Note: all 3 fuchsias have the Award of Garden Merit, as does my absolute favourite, Fuchsia 'Hawkshead'.

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

Comments

  1. Janet/Plantaliscious15 November 2011 at 10:52

    A real case of enjoy it while you can, isn't it - lovely fuchsias, though I think I would cross the road if I saw someone wearing earrings like that...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous15 November 2011 at 11:02

    Are these the varieties that produce the fruit that Mark Diacono mentioned in his book? Ever since reading that, I have been nibbling at overhanging Fuschias, to great surprise of onlookers. They're not that tasty admittedly. Ok, but not great...!

    ReplyDelete
  3. VP15 November 2011 at 11:58

    Janet - oh dear. I have even worse earrings than those ;)

    Petra - they are indeed apart from the double form. However, I find the magellanica varieties hardly ever bear fruit for me. F 'Genii' fruits much better for me and is quite a large berry when compared with what I should be getting from the others. Mine have been pretty tasty - good enough to add to fruit salads.

    I wrote about my Fuchsias and their berrying potential here.

    Note - I'm no longer having a Fuchsia hedge on my allotment since I gave up half of it earlier this year. You'll also see I didn't get round to getting rid of it from my garden this year!

    NB The cuttings didn't take (as I suspected it was too late in the year) and at Bob Brown's talk I attended recently, he recommended taking Fuchsia cuttings in April i.e. well before flowering.

    ReplyDelete
  4. petoskystone15 November 2011 at 13:09

    no less beauty for all that it's fleeting.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Christine @ the Gardening Blog15 November 2011 at 14:27

    What darling Fuchsias! Very pretty, lovely shots of them.
    Happy GBBD :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mr. McGregor's Daughter15 November 2011 at 15:50

    I just love Fuchsias, the double ones, the singles, but what I most admire now is the chartreuse foliaged ones like we saw everywhere in Seattle.
    I didn't know about the fruits of these plants. I'm such a dedicated deadheader. I will leave some of them next year to see if they bear any fruit.

    ReplyDelete
  7. noel15 November 2011 at 18:12

    aloha,

    i'm a total fushia fan...its surprising they don't sell very well here in hawaii for some reason so i can't find too many varieties.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Zoë15 November 2011 at 20:25

    Dont forget to collect the Fuschia berries, you can make a tasty jelly with them that works well on toast or with meat and cheese.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anna15 November 2011 at 21:27

    Fuchsias are fantastic for late flowering aren't they VP? :)I have 'Genii' too but it has never flourished where it is - time for a move maybe. My biggest shrub - looks similar to 'Hawkshead' but a very pale pink was absolutely decimated last winter. Pleased to say that it eventually came good.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The bike shed15 November 2011 at 22:12

    I think fuchsias are one of my favourite flowers. I wonder where they would come in a list of the nation's favourites - pretty high I expect.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jean Campbell16 November 2011 at 01:21

    Lovely, just lovely. Fuchsias do not like our hot and humid summers. I wish they did.

    ReplyDelete
  12. VP16 November 2011 at 09:02

    Petoskystone - fingers crossed they last a little longer

    Christine - welcome and thank you!

    MMD - if it's chartreuse you're after, then F. 'Genii' is the one for you :)

    Noel - hello! It looks like Nell Jean says later on in the comments why you don't get them in Hawaii

    Zoe - I still have the recipe for Fuchsia jam you sent me :)

    Anna - I thought my 'Hawkshead' had gone as well, but as usual I found May is the key time to determine what has survived and what hasn't. 3 'Lady Boothby' didn't survive + 'Delta's Sarah' and 'Jupiter' :(

    Mark - they're very high on my list :)

    Nell Jean - thanks for answering Noel's question. I thought they would be a 'good doer' on your side of the pond.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lea16 November 2011 at 10:56

    Lovely fuchsias!
    I buy a couple of plants in hanging baskets in the Spring to brighten my porch, but I've not tried putting them in the ground to overwinter. Thanks for sharing your beautiful blooms!

    ReplyDelete
  14. VP16 November 2011 at 13:53

    Lea - here in the UK we have 2 kinds of Fuchsias - hardy and tender. The ones I'm showing are hardy varieties and usually happily overwinter. The tender ones are often used in hanging baskets and pot displays. I don't know whether these are the same as the ones you're using. We're approx Zone 7/8 in terms of temperature, but strictly speaking there isn't a direct translation of UK hardiness into USA zones. On the whole your winters are much colder and summers much hotter than we have.

    ReplyDelete

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