One of my earliest memories of these beguiling plants is being told off for popping the flower buds before they were ready to open in my grandmother’s garden! They made such a satisfying noise - this was in the days before bubble wrap was widely available!
The varieties that were grown in borders then often included ‘Mrs Popple’ with red and deep purple flowers. This is still a popular choice today and makes a good low hedge in milder areas. Many of the varieties had red or purple flowers but now there is a much wider range of colours even within the hardy Fuchsia varieties. ‘Delta’s Sarah’ is a huge hit with cool blooms of white and slate blue. This tall grower will get to 120cm but can be contained by pruning in the spring. It looks great in a shady corner where it can arch gracefully when the branches are weighed down with flowers. It makes a beautiful backdrop to silvery pink Dahlias and other late flowering perennials.
There are plenty of varieties which have coloured leaves so that there is interest over a longer season and some have stunning autumn colours of red and plum shades before the leaves fall to reveal a mass of twigs through the winter months. Fuchsia genii is an upright grower with bright gold foliage which starts orangey red when the new leaves appear in spring. Fuchsia magellanica ‘Versicolor’ starts with coppery pink young leaves which age to deeper pink and creamy white. Left to its own devices the plant makes a huge mound of arching stems festooned with slender red and purple flowers and pruning hard ruins the shape, so give it lots of room – it’s an ideal choice to fill a big area and will need very little attention!
There is a gap at the back of a shady border in our garden which could do with some height and a splash of color so I am going to plant Fuchsia genii and keep it pruned if it starts to grow too large. The plant will make a good climbing frame for a late flowering Clematis viticella which can be pruned in spring at the same time and the golden leaves will set off a deep burgundy or purple flowered variety perfectly.
I am also taken with Fuchsia ‘Sunray’ which is lower growing and has pink and cream leaves. It is very hardy and I have decided to grow one on the patio where it will love a spot in part shade and contrast well with some fiery orange Dahlias that are growing in large pots for late color. The two plants will light up this area for months to come with a little feeding and dead heading.