Fuchsia Time!

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This is a closeup of one of my new fuchsias. I only bought three this year, each one different. In addition to the one above, we have a pink/red fuchsia and a pale double pink fuchsia. I chose large healthy plants with an abundance of flowers and buds and thick healthy greenery. Most of the available specimens were full and vibrant. However, a few apparently didn't make the transfer from the grower to the nursery and showed signs of severe distress. They should not have been made available to potential buyers. I didn't see any infestations, just neglect and broken or dried up runners and dead flowers. Pathetic. The three we took home were perfect.

Last fall I originally planned to winter-over my six fuchsias from 2009 and hang them up again this year. They died in the greenhouse. Those plants faced serious stress all season long from the strange weather we endured from May through September. We had approximately 100 days last year over 75 degrees, which is not typical of our cool summers. Many days hit the century mark and it was 106 on my birthday last summer, the hottest day anyone in my family and circle of native born friends ever experienced in Western Washington. On days over 85 degrees I watered the fuchsias between four and six times a day. When it hit 90 I upped it to between five and eight times a day and when it was in the 100s I watered every hour.

In the long run, it did no good. The plants recovered enough to hang on through the end of September, when the months of oppressive heat gave way too quickly to extremely cold nights. The poor things must have expired before they were put into the greenhouse, though we didn't know it. We trimmed them, watered them and kept them from freezing inside the building but when spring arrived last year's fuchsias never revived.

After I recovered from that heartbreak, I vowed to only invest in three plants this year, keep them on the cooler side of the porch and if another terrible summer should hit, put them into the house during the day. Three gigantic plants would be easier to manage than six. It's a plan, but of course we will see what the next few months bring. May has been cold and rainy, unlike last year when we had a week of 80+ temperatures. Only as the passage of time unfolds will we know what to do. For now I am watering and misting twice a day, which is perfect for this cool and rainy period.

I'll keep you posted if things take a negative turn with excessive heat and we must take them inside. I hope not, because after last year, most of us would enjoy a much more "normal" summer. LOL.

For more information: Fuchsia, Northwest Fuchsia Society, American Fuchsia Society, Garden Guide, simple care guide.

Thanks for visiting!