Fuschias

It is a rainy day in October. Halloween to be exact. My fuschias are starting to fade. This year I really went nuts over fuschias. It all started with a fuschia my mom gave me about five years ago. A lovely upright f. magellanica. A delicate yet very hardy fuschia. Dark pink with purple corollas. Fuschias are such a wonderful addition to a garden. Many people think of fuschias as basket plants that you get in the spring and throw out at the end of summer. There are 1000s of different types of fuschias. Many are hardy and do great in the NW in our climate. I have I think about 19 different kinds. Most are in the ground and over winter just fine. Some do better if brought into my cool greenhouse or kept under cover. Most you can just mulch well. A good tip about fuschias is to plant them deep. Dig the hole twice as deep as you think you should and cover that plant half way up. Cut them back in the spring hard. This way they will become bushier and not get leggy. You can continue each spring to mound compost around the base of them. It is also a myth that fuschias need to be in shade. Some of mine do better in part to full sun. I have two called "golden gate" The one plant that is in the sun has done much better. It is bigger and brighter. I have another in full sun called checkerboard that thrives in the sun. The truth is that they like warm feet rather than wet feet. Many people over water their fuschias as well. They do need water but down drown them. There is a great fuschia farm in Woodburn called Monnier's. If you ever get a chance to visit it is quite a treat. The best time of year to go is in September. Sometimes they visit Joy Creek Nursery in St Helen's off of Hwy 30. Check out Joy Creek's website.