Fuchsias – The Ballerinas of the Garden
Fuchsias are one of those plants I find incredibly difficult to resist. There is something about their hanging, ballerina-like flowers that brings a little bit of theatre to the garden, and I particularly love the hardy varieties because they give me that wonderful display without needing to be brought indoors every autumn.
The Hardy Fuchsias
For me, hardy fuchsias are at their best in a slightly sheltered border, cottage garden or woodland-style planting, where their arching stems can mingle naturally with other perennials and shrubs. They are happiest in moist but well-drained, fertile soil, and although they flower best in sun, they are perfectly happy in partial or dappled shade. I find a position protected from cold, drying winds works particularly well.
One of my favourites is Fuchsia ‘Mrs Popple’, an old favourite and an RHS AGM plant. Its bright red sepals and violet-purple petals make a fantastic combination, and at around 1m tall and wide, it is a really useful size for the middle of a border.
For something a little more unusual, I love Fuchsia ‘Hawkshead’. Instead of the typical strong reds and purples, it produces a smaller but delicate white flowers with a hint of green. At around 1m tall, it has a much lighter, more understated appearance and is particularly lovely in a shady or woodland-inspired garden. It also holds an RHS AGM.
Another excellent hardy choice is Fuchsia ‘Genii’, which is particularly useful if you want foliage as well as flowers. Its golden-yellow leaves contrast beautifully with the pendent flowers, making it a useful plant for brightening a partially shaded border. The RHS lists it as an AGM plant and gives a height of around 50–100cm.
If space isn’t an issue, Fuchsia magellanica is one I would definitely consider. It can become a substantial shrub, reaching around 2–3m, and in milder areas can make a wonderful flowering hedge. Its scarlet-and-purple flowers are produced freely through summer. There are also some lovely forms, including Fuchsia magellanica var. gracilis ‘Versicolor’, which has variegated foliage and reaches around 1–1.5m. This is another RHS AGM and one of those plants that can look good even when it isn’t flowering.
The Tender Fuchsias
I also have a soft spot for the more unusual Fuchsia triphylla types. These have elongated, tubular flowers rather than the classic ballerina shape, often in wonderful coral, orange and red shades. They are generally a bit more tender, however, so I would grow these in containers, a conservatory or somewhere frost-free where they can be overwintered. Some of my personal favourites of triphyllas are ‘Jaspers Unbelievable’, ‘Insulinde’, ‘Jaspers Lightning’, and Fuchsia splendens var. cordifolia.
And then there are the tender fuchsias, which I think deserve their place too. They are brilliant for summer containers, hanging baskets and patios, particularly where you want masses of flowers from summer right through to the first frosts. Some are upright, some trail beautifully, and others can be trained into standards. They generally prefer sun or light shade, although 
deep shade will reduce flowering. If I was going to recommend just one for your containers, I’d probably go for ‘Linda Hinchliffe’, is it so pretty and it is one of the few upward facing Fuchsias, they really are quite striking.
What I particularly like about fuchsias is their versatility. There is a size and style for almost every garden: small AGM varieties such as ‘Garden News’ or ‘Tom west’ are only around 10–50cm, while ‘Mrs Popple’ and ‘Hawkshead’ reach around 1m, and Fuchsia magellanica can become a 2–3m shrub.
For me, though, their biggest attraction is simply the flowers. They appear from mid-summer well into autumn, often continuing right up until the first frosts, giving the garden a welcome burst of colour when many early summer perennials are beginning to fade. At this time of the year they certainly come 
into their own, when they really start to shine. I have a Fuchsia ‘Margaret’ in my front border that has been there for over 50 years now, it even survived me pruning it back extremely hard one year. I thought it was the end of it but it came back just as floriferous as every other year…phew! Hardy fuchsias may die back in a particularly cold winter, but they can regrow from the base in spring, which is one of the reasons I think they are such rewarding plants to grow.
One tip I would give is to plant them 4″ deeper than they actually need to be.
If I had to choose just one group for a slightly shady, informal garden, hardy fuchsias would be very high on my list. They are colourful, characterful, surprisingly tough and, best of all, they keep flowering when you really need a bit of extra colour, and in the UK where our weather can be quite inclement then the fact that Fuchsias are totally rain proof is an added bonus especially for us here in Wales. Also Fuchsias are pretty disease resistant, just watch out for brown rust and root rot, and the usual garden pests like aphids, vine weevil and spider mite, all are easily treatable and preventable
