The Fuchsia's bright

I have developed a soft spot for Mrs. Popple. She has been attractive all summer, barely any effort and has moved cheerfully around the garden. I am talking, of course, about Fuchsia ‘Mrs. Popple’. She arrived in early spring, a refugee from a client’s garden, and left to languish amongst the other exiles at the back of the house looking for somewhere to put down roots. I am ashamed to say that mortality in the camp is high and it was her tenacious grip on life that brought her to my attention. A terracotta pot, fresh compost and a good water were the reward. And I have been repaid in full.

Previously, if someone had told me that I might become a fan of Fushsias I would certainly not have believed them. Now though I might seek them out again to garner some more insights. If truth be told I am not quite a full convert and can’t see myself making house room for the more fussy varieties. However my eyes have certainly been opened to the merits of Mrs. Popple and some of the other tougher ones.

One commonly perceived draw- back of Fuchsias is their frost hardiness, or rather their lack of it, and the vast majority are indeed not fully hardy in the UK. They originate from damp, shady forests in South America, and no doubt are used to more warmth than our climate can muster. However one species in particular crept further up the Andean mountainsides and so consequently can be relied on to survive our winters. Fuchsia magellanica produces its bright red flowers over a long period in summer and autumn and will grow into a lovely medium sized shrub if you let it. Of the hybrid varieties ‘Mrs. Popple’ (pictured) is probably the most popular. She too is fairly hardy and growing to only around 60-70 cms is ideal for pots. I have enjoyed moving mine around the garden this summer to add a splash of colour wherever needed as other flowers have faded.

Fuchsias come in all shades of pink, from deep purple to white and everything in between and are actually quite versatile plants. Tender varieties can be used as bedding, in hanging baskets and grown in pots in greenhouses, or even indoors, while the hardy ones can be grown like perennials (cut back each year much like a lavender), as specimen shrubs and even as hedges. In fact the first time I recall seeing Fuchsias was while on holiday in County Cork, Ireland. There they have naturalised to such an extent that they dominate hedgerows along the country lanes and together with orange Monbretia put on a quite spectacular display. I was told recently by a knowledgeable source that all of the ‘wild’ Fuchsia in South West Ireland can be traced back to a single plant that someone brought back from Scotland. According to the label the variety is ‘Riccartonii’!