Climbing fuchsia, Lady Boothby

Posted on 10 Jan, 2008 6 comments

I have just ordered some climbing fuchsia plants, apparently not to be dispatched until April but I am awaiting their arrival with some excitement!
I was just wondering if anyone out there has experience of them & could recommend a good position for them?
I have checked out a few sites for info & understand that they are hardy so I’m hoping this is the case. I’ve also read that they don’t have tendrils as such & ‘lean’ against other plants, walls etc. What is the truth of the matter?? I can’t seem to find them in any of my books.
Can someone please educate this ignorant soul?!
Thank u!

Comments

Andrewr

10 Jan, 2008

Karen,
I tried typing fuchsia Lady Boothby into a search engine and came up with this site:
gardening.co.uk
According to them - Fuchsia 'Lady Boothby', originally introduced in the 1930s, is sold by a number of specialist nurseries and is now becoming more widely available. Reputed to be 'the world's only climbing fuchsia' by Thomson & Morgan, this tall, hardy variety can reach 5m (15ft) if the long shoots are supported or trained against a wall
Hope this helps
AndrewR

Weemamabell

11 Jan, 2008

Hi Karen , plz let me know how you get on with this Fucshia , ive been looking at it for a while now and wondering what it would be like to grow , I love Fucshia's !

Karenking

16 Jan, 2008

I will most definitely post a comment on these fuchsia but they don't arrive until April so we've all got a bit of a wait!
I've got 12 plants on order so I'm thinking I will try out various sites 1 of which will be in the middle of Salisbury Plain!

Goodolpete

15 Mar, 2008

Hi,
have you seen the comments about these here?
http://www.uk.gardenweb.com/forums/load/ukgard/msg0420322815386.html

"Who in their right mind thought this was a climbing plant? Where are its tendrils? where are its twining stems? its nothing more than some lanky fuchsia nobody has bothered with for the last 60 odd years that needs sticks to stop it flopping over.
What ever next !!! "
and
"Saw it today.... NOT Inpressed "

Peter

Goodolpete

15 Mar, 2008

Also at
http://www.the-fuchsia-file.co.uk/fuchsia-lady-boothby.php

Lady Boothby is sometimes marketed as a climbing fuchsia. Whilst it is true that it can grow to a considerable height in a single season this is primarily because it tends to devote its energies to growing long, without branching.

It does not "climb" in the sense of attaching itself to nearby structures, but can be trained by weaving some of its branches through a trellis so that it appears to behave as a climber. In my experience it has to be pinched to encourage branching, and there is a compromise to be made between height and bushiness.

Peter

Katehibbert

10 Oct, 2008

I have just bought Lady Boothby. I was tempted by the ridiculously cheap end of season price. Of course, now I have to find somewhere in the garden to put it!
Seeing its characteristics, (ie not a true climber and quite possibly prone to lankiness) I've decided to grow it up some chicken wire (wrapped around a drainpipe on the corner of my garden shed.)
I plan to grow sweetpeas with it next year. I think the complimentary planting will work well. (Both in terms of form and colour.) If it succeeds - I'll send a photo...