Brilliant Fuchsias

9 comments

Brilliant Fuchsias

This blog was inspired by Hywel’s Fuchsia blog & I promised him I would do a blog on my Fuchsias, well here it is:

The Fuchsias growing on our balcony are doing brilliantly! It’s been several years since I last grew Fuchsias on the balcony & then I had them in the 5 hanging baskets, I’d like to show at least one photo from then but they are all locked away on the HDD of my old computer & I have no access to them for the moment.

This time I bought 3 trays, 4 to a tray, of small plants from the ‘Society For The Blind’ charity shop in town.

Bush Fuchsias just bought for balcony:

I have no idea of what varieties they might be but they have been flowering brilliantly for some months.

I planted them in 3 small troughs, 3 to a trough, on the centre bar around the middle of the balcony railings. As I had 3 left over I put them in in other pots on the balcony floor.

I like Fuchsias very much but it can be difficult to keep them over winter as we live in a small flat & there’s not sufficient room to keep them inside during the coldest periods of the winter. I just keep them dry & in their pots on a big, round table in the most sheltered corner of the balcony. I also keep other borderline hardy plants there as well, like Geraniums (Zonal) & Pelargoniums. The 3 types of plant can survive the cold of winter if they are kept dry & protected from the winds. So I will try to keep these alive for next year there as well.

1: Fuchsias & Lobelias on the balcony railings from outside:

2: Fuchsias & Miniature roses in trough on balcony railings seen from outside:

3: Close up of Fuchsia in hanging basket on balcony:

This particular Fuchsia came in this small basket which my brother gave me. Neither he nor I realised the “dead twigs” were a Fuchsia when he gave me it. In fact the basket was full of what I thought might be herbs but as they were practically dead I put a couple of trailing Begonias in it & they have done extremely well!

4: Fuchsia flowering in strawberry planter on balcony:

5: Fuchsias flowering in green pot on balcony:

6: Fuchsias on balcony from outside:

7: Fuchsias flowering in trough on balcony railings:

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These are the very latest photos which I took on 29th August 2015:

8: Fuchsias on balcony railings:

9: Fuchsias on balcony railings :

10: Fuchsias on balcony railings with Geranium ‘Black Prince’:

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11: I even have a “climbing” Fuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ on the balcony:

Although I’ve had it 3 or 4 years it has never done very well – in fact I think this year it’s doing better than the previous years yet it is only now starting to flower for the first time this year & we’re almost into September!

12: Last but not least, a photo of the strawberry planter with a Fuchsia growing in the top:

30 Aug, 2015
9 likes

Comments

Paulspatch

Very nice, Blacony, they produce a riot of colour. I found Fuschias were very slow getting going in this area this year but most have caught up!!!

30 Aug, 2015

Honeysuckle..

They look lovely! You really can't improve on the show that Fuschias give. I have had them in the past but they usually look a bit scrawny due to not getting watered enough! I find it difficult to keep the compost moist and am still trying different types to get a better show - must ask Hywel what he uses. This year was better, though have a couple in a pot which look a bit yellow, probably need a feed. I have three of the 'climbing' variety, two in pots which haven't done very well and one in the ground which is full of flower, so there's the answer to that!
I over-wintered mine (and the Pelargoniums) by drying them out and storing them under sacking in the shed - most made it through.

31 Aug, 2015

Steragram

They are hard to resist aren't they? I haven't got room to overwinter tender ones and mine are all hardy. Had you thought or buying hardy ones and wintering them on your allotment? They would probably be OK if you planted them about 4 inches down.

31 Aug, 2015

Balcony

Thanks for your comments & for taking the time to read my blog.

As I say at the beginning it was inspired by Hywel's one some weeks ago. At the time I told him I had some growing on our balcony again this year & that I would make a blog so he could see them - then he takes a leave of absence - just when I post it! :-D)

Paul, my only slow one has been the climbing Fuchsia 'Lady Boothby', the others have had no problem flowering at the appropriate time! As you can see in the first photo, they started out as very small plants in May but were flowering in June.

Thank you, Honeysuckle, for your comments & I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties with wetting the compost of your plants. As Hywel doesn't seem to be here at present perhaps I can offer a tip or two. If you add just a drop or two of liquid detergent to a gallon of water then use that to water your plants it should help to overcome the problem. Be careful to use LITERALLY only 1 or 2 drops otherwise you could damage the roots of your plants. Another way I often use if my pots have become very dry & are difficult to wet is to give each pot just a little, just enough to barely cover the surface of the compost then move on to the next pot & do the same & so on till you get back to the 1st when you repeat the operation all over again. If you've only got a few this won't be of much use but wait another 15 minutes before repeating. If you do this several times you will find each time you can give the pots more water which will soak in. In future try not to leave them so long so they get so dry. You are creating more work for yourself & you are not helping your plants! Hope this helps & you get lots of flowers in the future. :-))

Hi Stera, I'd consider hardy plants but I don't have the space for plants that disappear in the winter even though they return 6 months later. I need to have my pots & troughs occupied by flowering plants all year & permanent plants for the most part are out of the question. I only use winter & summer bedding plants & bulbs.

31 Aug, 2015

Lincslass

Late arriving Balcony but couldn't pass by without complimenting you, they have put on a grand show for you....

6 Oct, 2015

Steragram

I can see you need colour all year round - just thought that you might be able to sink the pots into the ground on the allotment if you still have it. Your way is obviously easier, and there's a wider choice of fancy ones.

7 Oct, 2015

Balcony

Thanks very much, Lincslass, for you compliments - they are very much appreciated! :-))

Thanks to you also, Steragram, your idea is good but I no longer have an allotment, I gave it up in September 2014, & even Gerry has given up his half allotment (in September this year). He has only got one entire plot. There will be less space available in future for anything that can't be eaten! A lot of space on it is already taken up with permanent plants of fruit trees/bushes.

My Fuchsias will have to be taken out in the coming couple of weeks to make way for winter bedding. It's getting a bit late now but with such fine weather & everything still flowering, who has the heart to remove them yet?

this week the council gardeners have been removing all the summer bedding around town - a crying shame as it was still in full flower! But one understands they need to get the winter bedding in right away & can't afford to wait another two or three weeks till the frosts do the work for them!

8 Oct, 2015