Show us your hardy fuschias in the ground.

Most people think of Blue Eyes as a hanging basket fuchsia, but since I don't grow hanging baskets, mine went into the ground two year ago, ha, ha! He is doing just fine and doesn't need any support. I have just been pruning him to grow upwards. He has made it through hail and freezing weather. Right beside my F. magellanica alba, Cardinal, Black Prince, and Voodoo. I don't put as much energy into packing the base of these guys with high and light mulch in the winter, as I do the ones in containers. Because I know that if everything above ground froze dead, they'd come back up from under the ground.
Here is my Blue Eyes.

This isn't the Lycioides I have growing in the ground, but while I was out trying to get a good photo of Billie Green, this little fellow decided it was time for a morning "pick me up!"

This message was edited Sep 19, 2009 1:25 PM

P.C.: so that's a Billie Green. I knew they were listed as hummer friendly and have the plant on my to buy list. Thanks for the photo. I always like to know that when a plant is advertized as hummer friendly, it actually is!

This is Lady Boothby........a new cultivar for me this year!

This message was edited Sep 20, 2009 7:14 AM

This is 'Chillerton Beauty' it has been in this spot for a bout 3 years

This is my fuchsia bed and as you can see bamboo is holding up my world (indespensible for hardy fuchsias). Today were are having large overhanging branches removed and hopefully this bed will florish with more sunlight

Sorry to mislead you hummer_girl, that is not Billie Green in the photo, it is Lycioides. Lycioides is the only known fuchsia in the Section Kierschlegeria. And it is almost always a blaze of red. I was going to photograph Bille Green when I saw the hummingbird visiting the Lycioides. I'd add a photo of Billie Green here, but as it is in a container, it doesn't fit the thread. So I posted a photo of him in the thread for heat tolerant fuchsias :-)

Azorina, those are beautiful fuchsias! You must have hummingbirds dancing in the skies over your garden! I just checked, and 'Chillerton Beauty' is in need of your wonderful shot of such a healthy and happy bush here in the Plant Files, I hope you add it.

Azorina, Your fuchsia bed is glorious, and your picture of 'Chillerton Beauty' is a perfect example of why I love fuchsias in the garden....such grace and beauty in such a delicate form! You are single handedly responsible for me starting to use more fuchsias in my landscape, and I will be eternally grateful! I may take some pics when I am off this weekend of some of my lovelies that are looking pretty now, but the dogs have removed most of my tags so they will be "unknown".

Rarejem, I'll be looking forward to your photos too! Maybe we will even be able to figure out your "unknowns" if you are interested. I bet you'lll remember their names if we just jog your memory ;-)

Thankyou for the complements.
Yesterday we had some branches removed and my fuchsia tree took a bit of a beating........I couldn't even go out there a look at it till today. It was so distressing so I decided to go to the other "undamaged" side where I just planted a Fuchsia regia and found it had been carefully nipped by a deer. (Whimper)

Ahh!! I have heard of deer doing damage! I have seen what they can do to even roses and citrus when they are hungry. One has yet to touch my fuchsias, but I fear the day they do. Meanwhile, I decided to cut some of the old dead wood out of my oldest F. magellanica alba after the male teenage kitten decided to use it as a jungle gym and did allot of damage. It was hard to do, but I think it will be better for it. This is the main fuchsia bush I see first every morning, and now it looks like a disaster :-(
I just keep reminding myself that it is going to look so much better. Eventually.....
The cats are necessary for gopher control. I have seen full sized fuchsia bushes start to grow in the spring, be in full bloom, and then fall over because all of their roots have been eaten away!! Which is one reason why all of the new additions to my collection go into 15 gallon containers now. It doesn't look as pretty, but I know they are safe. I'll make cuttings from them and plant those into the ground!

Azorina,

I, too, love your fuchsia pictures! I hope to have similar bushes one day! I also empathize about the deer. My front yard has perfect conditions for fuchsias &, in prior years, the deer would nibble a few times a year... however, last year & this year, the drought has brought the deer into my yard on a daily basis & they're eating bushes they left alone in the past. Even my ivy is eaten to the ground! In the fall, I'll move the fuchsia pots into the backyard & plant some of them in the ground...

Liz

Thanks Liz.........I get all goofy about fuchsias this time of year and am now ready to dig up the lawn for more. (Because my BFF is dragging me to a nursery that specializes in Fuchsias later this week!)

I want to go too!!! Dang, I so wish I could get to Monnier's before they close in Oregon at the end of this month. I've been going over my wish list.......must have more blues!

PedricksCorner- You are so smart how did you know we are going to Monnier's. I must be transparent or something!!

If it makes you feel any better Pedricks...
When I was there last week it was pretty slim pickin's.
But the gardens were wonderful to look at.

Oh Azorina I love your fuchsia beds! You must have hummers there all summer long! Have fun at Monnier's

GardenGuyKin- Thanks it should be fun even if the pickins' are slim. (darn)

It should and I'm sure you will have fun!
I'm gonna try to get there one more time too.
What day are you going? Wouldn't that be fun if we were there on the same day!

I met 3 DG members there last week. First time I have ever met anyone here from DG by chance.

I guess I must be the BFF>>>>>>>>>>>> we hope to be there around the 10:00 opening on Friday. Would be lots of fun to meet.

I was up all night working on THE list of uprights. Combining all the info into a spreadsheet to be plugged into a little database that will let us sort by criteria such as sepal and corolla colors, hot hardy, cold hardy. And at the same time, there is a have column and a want column. So that as I check each fuchsia and see ones I'd like, I don't forget which ones those are.
It is good for the Monniers that so little is left, but sad for those still hoping to find what they are looking for. I can't even see what their prices are. Does anyone know if they still have small starts and how much they are? I have family in Oregon, maybe it would be worth it to ask them to go look for the varieties I am hoping for.
Gee, I'll be there in spirit with you all! Take lots of photos!!! The Plant Files here are missing photo examples of so many varieties......

PNWMountainGirl & Azorina
I hope to meet you also! I will be there Friday Morn. The only thing that could keep me from being there is if I get mandated at work and forced to stay! I'll be wearing a Dave's Garden T shirt!!! LOL

Wow your ambitious Pedricks. That will all be very useful info.
While talking with Debbie Monnier she said they were going to keep their website up. That is a great thing I like viewing their photos of the cultivars I have bought from them for reference.
I'll be taking photos for sure!
:)

PedricksCorner, good luck with all your work, Jim

Thanks Jim, it will make my life allot easier, ha, ha! It has been very frustrating to have to go to so many different lists and sources of data just to get all the info for one fuchsia variety. And so many people have been asking which fuchsias are both heat and cold hardy. Plus, I would really, really, really like to be able to "ask" for a list of fuchsias with for example, red sepals and white corollas. If I am going to help people figure out which mystery varieties they are growing, it is really going to help me allot. I am considering a field for where to find a photo example of each fuchsia listed. But I am hoping that will be DavesGarden!

I can't wait to hear all about the adventures at Monniers this morning!
Although it must have also been very sad.
I hope you guys had a great time and were able to find some nice specimens for your gardens.
A friend of mine has made a bunch of cuttings from here F. peniculata and they are doing well. It's one of those species that gets huge! If anyone is interested in one, let me know.

I've been work on that searchable list! But I am going to move mentioning it to the thread about identifying our mystery fuchsias. The ones we have and don't know the name of. As that is where most people will look if they are trying to find information on how to figure out what they've got.
Here is the link to that thread. "Name That Fuchsia..."

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1034017/

Anyone know what variety would grow in zone 6a?

Bubba1

Hi Bubba1,
I think it is possible to search the PlantFiles by zone criteria. I haven't tried it myself yet though ;-)
The Northwest Fuchsia Society has a test garden and a great list of cold hardy fuchsias.
http://www.nwfuchsiasociety.com/
But I don't know about zone 6a. I believe people in your zone grow them indoors during the winter. Or provide somekind of protection during the winter. I have even seen ads for burlap bags to cover bushes. Cold hardy is a area I am still learning about. I am going to try growing a few indoors myself this winter.
PC

bubba1 - my research indicates the following cold-hardy fuchsias (also heat tolerant) will grow in zone 6 if planted correctly:

F. magellanica
F. magellanica var. gracilis
F. magellanica var. molinae
F. magellanica var. pumila
F. magellanica var. riccartonii
F. Mrs. Popple

Planting info: New stems grow from old stems so you can't plant shallowly. Dig a hole 12" wide x 4" deep, amend the soil if needed. In the center of your hole dig another, deeper hole, where the rootball will be planted. When you plant the fuchsia in the second, deeper hole, the crown of the plant should be 1" below the bottom of the 4" hole. In other words, there should be a 5" depth measuring from the plants crown to surrounding soil level of your garden bed. Gradually over time, fill in the 12" depression until the soil level around the fuchsia is 5" deep. What you are doing is burying a 5" section of the plants stem above the crown of the plant. From this buried section of stem the plant will form a lot of underground stems that have growing points that will emerge in the spring, and the more large leaves on these stems, the stronger the plant is and the better it can rebound from winter damage. These new underground stems will come from the part of the fuchsia you have been building soil around through the growing season. The best time of year to plant a cold-hardy fuchsia in zone 6 is in the spring after the last frost. To winterize your fuchsia, mound mulch, peat, a combination of both, around the base of the plant. When I do mine next year, I'm going to mound a combination of mulch, peat and fallen leaves around the fuchsias and put a screen around the mulch to keep the winter layer from blowing away.

I hope this helps.

This message was edited Oct 16, 2009 10:58 AM

This message was edited Oct 16, 2009 2:22 PM

Thank you! That helps a lot! I have seen fuschias at walmart in hanging baskets and I have also seen pictures posted on the garden and have just loved them! Especially the pics I saw on the garden, but if memory serves me they were planted in an area like Florida or California. I have not purchased any because I already have too many plants I have to bring it for winter and dealing with the fungus gnats is maddening! I will sure look for these varieties in spring!

I wish there was a way for me to mark this posting so I could find it when I am ready to plant the fuschias.

bubba1 - here's a DG trick I just learned. In the upper right hand area of the page you are now viewing you will see a little manilla folder. The icon is directly below the PM where the date and time is shown. Click on the manilla folder icon and you will be instructed on how to TAB this thread for future reference. I learned this trick from a DG member a couple weeks ago, and found it very handy to save important info we all need to keep our plants happy.

Also, all the fuchsias I listed as cold hardy for your zone are all uprights. The only way to save a trailing fuchsia in our area is to overwinter in the garage, basement, or house.

bubba1 - I forgot GardenGuyKin also posted planting instructions on the Fuchsia Sticky page. Check out those guidelines, also.

This message was edited Oct 15, 2009 4:45 PM

Thanks so much for your help! I have tried tagging it, so we will see if I am computer literate! Ha! ha!

Bubba1

Dog Tails, Cat toys, even still I love them all. I'm new to fuchsias although I do remember them growing in Santa Ana CA when I was a kid, I've over summered a couple which will be going into the ground soon. While at the library today, I was talking to the librarian about fuchsias, and she has one in her yard! She says she has a black thumb, but said she'd email a photo. When it gets here I'll share. Good to know of at least one that is growing locally in the ground! Once established they can freeze back to the ground and still come back lovelier than ever. Astounding!
I saw some really cool photos of what appeared to be fuchsia interplanted with bird of paradise plants posted above? I like the look, kind of exotic. Was looking for companion plants.
Thanks for the tip about saving stuff in the little manila folder. I'm going to try it. I'm forever loosing threads.
Walk In Beauty,
SingingWolf

bubba1- yesterday I took info from the wrong list. So I've edited the list above. You'll need to recheck. Also, I'll look through my books today and see what other fuchsias are listed for zone 6.

You are so nice and helpful! I did look at some of the pictures above but have to be honest. My computer screen is old (my original one went out, so a friend gave me this one which was in her basement) and the colors are messed up so all the flowers look either blue or white. Are there any that are really blue?

Yes, there are! The blues are my favorites! There are some awesome shades of blue in many fuchsia varieties! The hard part, is deciding which ones to grow ;-D

Pedricks-

I have noticed your postings in the marketplace so I get the impression fuschias are your thing. Do you know which blues would grow best in the ground in zone 6a? Oh. And Woodward can be dry in the summer.

Bubba1