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

I would say that's a correct statement. AL

My hardy ones are on the east side of our house and get full sun in the morning. In the summer that's for pretty much all of the morning and even into very early afternoon. Then the sun moves arround the house and they are in the shade of the house for the afternoon.

Not sure about the other types but these seem happy in that spot.

Interesting, I never realised they needed a mild climate. We certainly don't get really hot hot hot. I do have to keep an eye and water in the summer if it's been dry for a few weeks but generally they just do their own thing.

This has got me thinking... I have two tubs in the garden whose plants have died off and I'm not sure what to put in them. I think I might put a couple of larger flowered fushias in there. Now I have a greenhouse I can move them in there to avoid the frosts in the winter. Got me thinking now :hmm

Tindo I got mines from this very nice lady atPedricks Corner She's got a good variety. I got like 15 plants but I'm down to like 10. I know that fuchsias aren't supposed to grow well down here so I bought a few to try and see what survived better for me.

Thanks for the great link.