Hardy Fuchsia

Again, wait until frost has blackened the foliage then cut them down. Here we do not bother cutting down until Spring as the old top growth, though a bit unsightly does provide some winter protection. You can mulch around the base the stems if you need to.
They do survive here and we are defintely colder than most places in England.

Agree with Owdboggy, leave your Fuschia will all the growth on them, after frost mulch up round them with 4 inches of compost.
Cut them down end of February.

Agree, don't cut them at all, wait till spring and as you live in Surrey, its unlikely they'll need any more protection than that - assuming they're in the ground, that is. If they're in pots, that's another matter altogether.

Thanks for all the answers - I will wait until spring. They are in the ground by the way, so I assume all the advice still stands.

Yes, it does, Muddywellie. Just for interest's sake, Fuchsia is one of the plants that's sensitive to cold through its roots, so even a hardy one might keel over if its cold and its in a pot.

Thank you - that is interesting - as I had a standard hardy fuchsia which did not make it, and as it was in a pot - that does explain why! Wish I'd known that before I put it in the pot...

I had a standard in a pot, but I used to bubble wrap (thick layers) the pot for the winter and "huddle" it in the middle of other potted plants - it eventually died when we had a particularly cold February one year.

The issue of cold, and plant hardiness is fascinating to me. Although I llive in the Surrey I am at the bottom of a large hill, and in a fairly open area. I think that makes a real difference to the cold, and i actually think I am in a bit of a frost hollow. Its always a good 4/5 degrees cooler here than elsewhere, and considerably cooler than my parent's place in London. The plants that make it in my garden have to be pretty hardy, otherwise there's no chance!

yea, that is an interesting subject - I know that frost flows like water, so being at the bottom of a hollow will be colder. On the other hand, I have a relative who lives in Addington (or is it Addiscombe, can't remember) and they're very high up - their back garden is always cold, even in summer, its much colder there than surrounding areas generally, particularly in winter - they've got frost and ice when no one else has. Can't be a frost pocket, they're too high up, so I'm not too sure what's going on there.

Do you think its just because its quite exposed being high up? I was listening to Gardeners Question Time, and there was a whole section on how frost flows, as you say, like water. It can even do that through your own garden, so you will have parts that will be more susceptible than others. I would love to know properly, but I think I just have to guess by close observation.

I don't know what the explanation is - I used to say it was because they were so high the atmosphere was thinner, but that's rubbish, of course! Might be that they're high up so don't get the insulating effect of surrounding paving and buildings, I guess.
And as for frost pockets in your garden, yes, you're right, only by observation can you tell. Let's hope its not too pricey an experience while observing;-)