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A Fantasy of Fuchsias - Hardies ...

hywel

By hywel

41 comments


There are several hardy Fuchsias growing in my garden.
I don’t lift them in the winter, but leave them in the ground.

Some of them grow quite big and don’t need much winter protection, (especially in a sheltered spot)
but I cover the smaller ones with an upside-down flower pot, and give them a good layer of mulch, just incase we get some severely cold weather.

We had such a bad summer this year that many of my hardy Fuchsias have not flowered,
but I have posted photos in this blog of the ones that did flower.
Maybe we’ll have better weather for the others next year :)

1. Army Nurse
(Hardy, and grows quite big) :-

2. Beacon
(Hardy) :-

3. Chillerton Beauty
(Hardy) :-

4. Constance
(Hardy.
Looks a bit like the above one, but in reality is quite different) :-

5. Connie
(Hardy) :-

6. Delta’s Sarah
(Hardy, and grows quite big) :-

7. Dollar Princess
(Hardy) :-

8. Foxgrove Wood
(Hardy, and grows several feet tall if you put it by a fence or trellis) :-

9. F. magelanica Riccartonii
(Hardy) :-

10. Geanii
(Hardy and makes a beautiful golden bush) :-

11. Lechlade Magician
(Hardy and grows to about 8 feet high.
Rather small flowers but the pollen is bright blue – very attractive)

12. Lena
(Hardy and nice for cascading over a wall) :-

13. Mrs Popple
(Hardy) :-

14. Preston Guild
(Hardy in a sheltered spot) :-

15. Rufus the Red
(Hardy) :-

16. Shrimp Cocktail
(Hardy) :-

17. Strawberry Delight
(Hardy and lovely golden/bronzy foliage) :-

18. Tom Thumb
(Hardy) :-

19. Unknown …
(Hardy and grows very tall, and can go a bit wild) :-

20. Zulu King
(Hardy.) :-

This is one of the Fuchsias I’ve had longest. I’ve had it for about 35 years, when I started collecting them in the early 80s.

21. Zwarte Snor
(Hardy) :-

When you plant a hardy Fuchsia it’s a good idea to plant it deeply, because the branches under ground will be protected from the worst weather,
and if the top growth is killed off in a bad spell of cold weather, they will grow back next spring from under the ground :)

And that was the third of my three 2016 Fuchsia blogs.
I’ll shut up now lol …
but you can be sure I’ll show endless photos of them next year again :D

More blog posts by hywel

Previous post: A Fantasy of Fuchsias - Doubles

Next post: Wrong Names :(



Comments

 

Great ....Hywel , do another selection in Jan and Feb cheer us all up .....

I did have one hardy one but 2012 finished it off 'Doctor Foster' a cutting from a neighbor from my old house he had it in the border more than 30 years he told me.

Gg

6 Nov, 2016

 

Thank You Hywel....I will plant some of these hardies next year. Do all of these need a trellis or some kind of other support?

6 Nov, 2016

 

Thanks, Hywel, for making a selection of Hardy Fuchsias! This would be of great help for anyone who has a Fuchsia or two at home.

I've grown several of the Fuchsias you have listed on this page. Unfortunately none of them has survived on our balcony.

I made up several standards using 'Beacon'. They had heads than began a metre (3ft) from the compost in the pots so they poked over the balcony railings! These grew successfully for a number of years but they died a few years ago.

I also had 'Sarah's Delta' & 'Dollar Princess' but these also died. It's very difficult to keep even hardy Fuchsias alive for more than a couple of years on the balcony.

Another Fuchsia blog I've added to My Favourites page!

I've uploaded a few photos of Fuchsias on our balcony.

6 Nov, 2016

 

Wow Hywel! You have some fantastic fuchsias there. I have one or two myself, but there are some I've not only never heard of, but actually look as if they should be tender. Thank you so much for your blog...I must look out for some of the more unusual ones.

6 Nov, 2016

 

Hywel, I can't imagine how you manage to fit so much in your garden! Can you give me the dimensions of your plot?
I don't seem to cram as much into mine. Perhaps I'm slipping up in some way. Maybe I should try & go "up somehow, like they do with buildings. I love Preston Guild, but notice it isn't quite as robust as the others. They are all lovely.

6 Nov, 2016

 

Lovely Hywel. I have lots of these but never manage to take such good photos! Please can you tell me how tall Zulu King gets as I think its planted too near the front of the bed. And my Gardeners Delight is low and fairly lax just now but yours looks taller - how tall does it get? I was going to move it to the front but perhaps better not!

Did you cut Delta's Sarah right back in the spring? The one you gave me is well on the way but not as tall as yours.
Preston Guild is very pretty - like Delta's Sarah with its hair in curlers...

What would we do without someone to answer all these questions?

6 Nov, 2016

 

Keep them coming Hywel...i love Fuchsias and all your helpful information..thanks

6 Nov, 2016

 

Straight to favourites again Hywel. I had some of mine in hanging baskets. I thought because they were hardy they would be okay. I now realise they should have been in the ground. Thank you for that last paragraph. Any still surviving will go in garden planted deeper than they are in the pot. Should I be able to dig them up and replant them in the baskets or will the roots be too big? You should charge for all your master classes lol.

6 Nov, 2016

 

Thank you all :)

Loosestrife they don't usually need support, but the 'unknown' one grows very tall so needs something to stop it falling over.
Some seem to grow taller if they have something like a trellis to shelter them, but this is not essential. Without the trellis they won't grow so tall.

I don't know the dimensions of my garden Feverfew. I should think the planting area is about 15 - 20 yards long and about 5 - 6 yards wide. ??? that's a guess. Maybe I'll measure the area tomorrow.

Sue, Zulu King gets to about a foot tall.
I can't remember if I cut Delta's Sarah back in the spring. I can't even remember what I did two minutes ago !
I should think I cut it back a bit or it would have got too tall.
Did you mean Strawberry Delight ? (I haven't got one called Gardeners Delight) It's in a pot, although I did have one in the ground many years ago.

6 Nov, 2016

 

Scotsgran Your comment crossed with mine lol
If the root ball freezes the Fuchsia will die. It's best to put potted ones in a frost free shed.
I should think you could dig them up next spring if you plant them in the ground now, because they won't put on any new growth in the winter (that goes for roots as well as stems)
Plant them somewhere sheltered though, just incase.
I'll send in my bill ;D

Thanks Motinot :)

6 Nov, 2016

 

Thank you for posting Hywel. I actually inherited one of the very pale pink magellanica (not in your pictures) but it is doing very poorly, It was a decent plant when we moved in 12 years ago and I neglected it and it shows me that it is not happy. I had no idea that so many fuchsias are hardy. I treat all my fuchsias as annuals :-(

7 Nov, 2016

 

Thank you Hywel. I will try to grow a few more next year, as they are the only plants in my garden to flower continuously. The couple I have, are still covered in blooms even in early November.

7 Nov, 2016

 

Lol Hywel, Gardeners delight is a tomato - I meant Garden News.

7 Nov, 2016

 

Thank you Hywel for all these blogs on Fuchsias. I have put them all in my Favourites. I didn't realise that so many were hardy, I have a greenhouse full and could have left some out. I'll think again next year. Thanks for all the extra information too.

7 Nov, 2016

 

this is yet another excellent blog and I love Zulu King, a very slender shape to it.
thanks for taking the time to take photos and write the blog :o)

7 Nov, 2016

 

I had no idea there were so many, will certainly look out for some next year, thank you very, very much for going to so much trouble.....ydych yn ddyn da !!

7 Nov, 2016

 

Thanks for all your comments :)

I didn't post a photo of Garden News Steragram, It has died.

Diolch yn fawr Dottydaisy :)

7 Nov, 2016

 

Thank you. lol.

7 Nov, 2016

 

:)

7 Nov, 2016

 

Super blog Hywel such a vast array of beautiful fuschias all looking so healthy with your tlc :o)

7 Nov, 2016

 

Have added to my favourites - To be kept as a good source of reference! ;o) There are so many varieties in this section that I have grown and didn't realise they were Hardy! Have you ever grown Hawkeshead? It's a very delicate pink and has grown to at least 5ft tall here in my garden...! I've had to cut it back hard recently, as I planted it too close to the front of a border and I can't see the clematis on the obelisk behind. However, I know it'll be back...! ;o)

8 Nov, 2016

 

Hi Hywel, we have been so busy, today was the 1st chance I've had to come onto GOY for about a week so I was over the moon to find this blog today. If I could double like this blog I would!!!! You have so many beautiful fuchsias, its a joy to look at your collection. Have saved this blog to my favourites so like others can use it as reference.

8 Nov, 2016

 

Thank you all. There are many beautiful Fuchsia varieties. I hope the others will flower next year, and I also hope to add them.

I've never grown Hawkshead Peialtracey. Maybe it will be one of my new ones next year :)

8 Nov, 2016

 

You have given us a real insight into the beauty and care of fuschias.
All three blogs about them have been first class - thank you Hywel.
Your garden must be exquisite.

8 Nov, 2016

 

Thank you :) I wish my garden was exquisite ... lol :)

9 Nov, 2016

 

Hello Hywel......my husband wants to know if he should prune the cuttings he took this summer, or let them carry on growing through the winter months...... they will be in our porch, as we haven't a greenhouse!! thanks in anticipation.O:-)

9 Nov, 2016

 

I wouldn't prune cuttings, especially if they're small.
If they're in a porch they may die back a bit anyway if we get a very cold spell, so I'd leave them alone and prune them in the spring, back to the height you want.
If they continue to grow during the winter, it will not matter, you can still cut them back to the required height in springtime.
Other people may have different advice but that's what I do with mine :)

9 Nov, 2016

 

My OH says thank you very much for your information....Hywel.

9 Nov, 2016

 

He's welcome.
Good luck !

10 Nov, 2016

 

I think we will need it, have a feeling it is going to be a cold winter......??

10 Nov, 2016

 

Oh I hope not lol ... :D

11 Nov, 2016

 

Thanks for the very informative blog Hywel, its gone into my favourites for future reference.

11 Nov, 2016

 

Thank you :)

11 Nov, 2016

 

I've put a couple of Fuchsias in my mini-greenhouse in the most protected corner of the balcony.

When my son & daughter-in-law gave me it for my birthday they thought it didn't have the plastic cover so they bought another one! So now I have two covers for it! I thought that if we are forecast some bad frost this winter I would get out the other cover & see if I can get it on top of the present cover.

It is also home to all my Geraniums which I don't want to lose either!

12 Nov, 2016

 

I hope it works Balcony :)

12 Nov, 2016

 

Re-reading This blog I noticed the fuchsia Son of Thumb - I think its Lady Thumb. Son of Thumb has a pale lilac corolla - half way between Tom's purple one and Lady's white one. I used to have all three but Son of Thumb died.

13 Nov, 2016

 

Never seen any of the 3! Hadn't even heard of 'Son of Thumb' till you mentioned it!

13 Nov, 2016

 

Sue that Fuchsia isn't Lady Thumb. There's one of those near it and if it had better looking flowers I would have posted a photo.

Balcony they don't grow very big, and have small flowers. Maybe they'd look nice on your balcony :)

14 Nov, 2016

 

Thanks, Hywel, I'm sure they would!

15 Nov, 2016

 

Looking for the Polytunnel blog (which I didn't find :))), read this blog.
Wow, big colletion, healthy and beautiful.

Thanks for the blog. I finally could identify the one I have. So, I believe the fuchsia we bought is similar to a hardy Chillerton Beauty.

22 Oct, 2019

 

Thanks, I'm glad you were able to identify your fuchsia from my photos.

Link for blog showing new polytunnel …
https://www.growsonyou.com/hywel/blog/32849-improvements-before-and-after

22 Oct, 2019

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