Fuchsias on my balcony 2009

I bet they are lovely.

Your fuchsia displays are always beautiful :o)

I can imagine they looked fantastic from outside. A good display always inspire others to do the same , I bet you are the envy of your neighbours. Don't forget to propogate some and give them away, they will love you. :o))

Thanks for the imfo Balcony... ive grown these in pots this year and was wondering what to do with them.....

Fuchsias are tougher than they say. I always think I've lost some but it's never as bad as I think.

I bought some fuchsias for the first time this year, just a couple which are in hanging baskets and another in a pot. All your info was very interesting and gives me courage to try even more :)

Thank you all for your comments & I'm glad you liked this little blog. In a few weeks time I will put up the 2nd part with photos from this year.

I originally wrote this blog on a forum I also post on called Allotmentgrowers.co.uk, in reply to a lady who didn't know what to do with her Fuchsias over the winter. I just wanted to share my own personal experience with her. But after posting it I thought why not share it with a bigger audience & one more interested generally in flowers than growing vegetables, so that's why I copied it & posted it on here.

I glad if it has helped somebody to take up growing these lovely & very rewarding plants. I also wanted to dismiss the idea/myth that they are difficult to maintain during the winter.

I have kept Geraniums (Pelargoniums) in the same way for many years, just by keeping them pretty dry they will come through most winters & live for several years at least. I have several Geraniums on the balcony that have been growing there for 6/7 years at least!

Balcony how are your fuchsias and geraniums doing now and have you added to your collection?

To start with the latter part of your question, no, I haven't bought any more Fuchsias or Geraniums this year. The earlier part of your question about how my plants are doing is that the great majority aren't - doing anything as they died during our terrible winter! ;-((

As we have had two very bad winters in a row I begin to wonder if the "mild" winters of yesteryear have come to an end & these last couple of years may be setting the trend for future winters.

I've decided I can no longer keep half hardy plants like Geraniums & Fuchsias during the winter on my balcony. I have no room to keep them indoors & anyway even the coldest cupboard in the flat would be too warm to maintain plants dormant during the winter & there just isn't enough room on the windowsills to keep them growing during the winter.

The greenhouse on the allotment is unheated therefore not frost free & all my Fuchsias & Geraniums I had in there, even wrapped in bubblewrap, died during the winter. ;-((