Fuchsia anyone?
 

Gorgeous.

I grow a hardy variety in the garden and love them. The hardy ones have smaller flowers but masses and masses of them. The larger flowered ones are very popular in the UK but you have to take them inside over the winter.

I don't have any close up pics but here are my two plants in my front garden when they were in full flower (the flowers also go on most of the summer). They might have smaller flowers but they still put on a display.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_o...0September.JPG

These ones will die back to just dead sticks over the winter. I've just this week noticed the first sign of new shoots at the base. In a mild winter I will get some growth off the dead sticks. Still not sure if this year was too harsh, there is still time to see some growth higher up.

Once there is more growth on them in a few weeks I will pune back all the old sticks which show no sign of growing again. The new growth from the base can get to full heigh in a few months.

They will probably flower arround June/July but really get into full swing in August & September (the pic above was taken early september 2007) and will still be flowering well right up to the first heavy frost.

I don't know much about them. These were bought labled 'Fushia Hardy' so I don't know exactly what they are. I always loved my Mum's hardy ones and I was not really interested in having to bring them in during the winter so that's what I got.

Very nice plants with incredible color!

I keep killing fucshia with too much sun! Might have a try again in a shady spot - I do love them!

It is possible to be bitten by more than one plant bug. I also grow fuchsias.

I love fuchsias! Actually this weekend is fuchsia freenzy at one of the local one stop shopping stores. I only just recently started growing them a couple of years ago....it didn't go so well for me, not sure why though....so I didn't try again the last year, but maybe I'll try again this year!

I think part of the reason they are grown and do well in England is due to the relatiely mild, moist climate. I saw them a lot grown year round out doors on the Oregon coast where they bloomed from late spring through summer. I know most Fuchia's like moist well drained soil and partial shade. I have heard of a couple Hybrids that can take hot weather fairly consistently, but most would appreciate a Intermediate range of temp. They are a plant favorite of mine also! AL