Thompson & Morgan Gardening Blog

Our gardening blog covers a wide variety of topics, including fruit, vegetable and tree stories. Read some of the top gardening stories right here.

Propagation, planting out and cultivation posts from writers that know their subjects well.

The top 10 fuchsias to enhance your outdoor space

by | Jun 8, 2021 | Gardening Posts | 3 Comments

Fuchsia Trailing Pre-Planted Basket from Thompson & Morgan

Trailing fuchsias look fantastic cascading from hanging baskets and window boxes
Copyright: Visions BV, Netherlands

Fuchsia plants are versatile, hard working, and easy to grow anywhere in the garden. Plant up hanging baskets and window boxes with trailing varieties or choose bushier hardy types to fill your garden borders. There’s a great variety of sizes and shapes to explore, all with long-lasting flowers sure to brighten up your outdoor space.

Here are 10 of our all-time favourite fuchsia plants, chosen for their fabulous flower performance and great garden value.

read more…

Indoor Plants: The Natural Air Purifiers (We Need To Know More About)

by | Jun 8, 2021 | Gardening Posts, House plants | 0 Comments

While many people are not aware of it, the fact is that indoor plants act as nature’s very own air purifiers. Many scientists have now suggested that it is very important to use air-purifying plants in both your home as well as your office to help detoxify the atmosphere in the space where you live and breathe.

©Shutterstock: Some species of house plant are particularly good at filtering toxins from our homes.

According to a study conducted by NASA, there are quite a few air-purifying plants and their associated microorganisms have the potential to detoxify your home from air pollutants, various toxins, and bacteria.

 It has now been confirmed that the more the plants in your home, the easier it is for them to work collectively and make a substantial difference in the overall quality of the air inside. They are also known for their calming effect, reducing stress and improving your wellbeing. Best of all, indoor houseplants are now part and parcel of many interior design books. In fact these plants are now rapidly becoming a trend that is here to stay!

Let’s take a look at which plants make great investments in terms of increasing the air quality in your home.

 

Baberton Daisy (Gerbera)

Gerberas are some of the prettiest plants out there and not only does it help to inject a cheerful burst of bright orange, red, pink, or yellow, into your home, it is also a highly effective cleanser. It rids the air of many common toxins that are typically found in household equipment. This includes trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, as well as benzene which are found in a vast range of different household materials, such as paints and many common synthetic fibres. 

©Thompson & Morgan: Baberton Daisies will purify the air and make a pretty house plant too!

You should place the plant in a room where there is plenty of natural light while trying to keep the soil reliably moist, but with adequate drainage.

 

Snake Plant (Sansevieria)

The snake plant also goes by the rather tongue-in-cheek name “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue.” Once you place this plant in your bedroom, you can rest assured that you will be in for a really good night’s sleep. It belongs to the succulent plants’ group and this particular yellow-tipped succulent has the capacity to release plenty of oxygen at night.

©Thompson & Morgan: Sanseviera is a low maintenance plant that releases plenty of oxygen at night.

Furthermore, the Snake Plant is also one of the best plants when it comes to filtering the air in your home of the toxic chemicals formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, xylene, and trichloroethylene. While it thrives as a potted plant, you should be careful not to overwater this plant as its roots are prone to rot in excessively moist soil.

 

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Peace Lilies are popular for their glossy leaves and elegant white flowers, but they are also rated one of the best for improving air quality. These plants neutralise toxic gases like benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide making your home a safer and cleaner place. They will even improve the humidity of a room, boosting it by up to 5%.

©Shutterstock: Peace Lilies are one of the best choices for improving air quality in your home.

With their calming good looks and air purifying abilities, they make a great choice for enhancing the tranquillity of your bedroom to ensure a better night’s sleep. Give your Peace Lily a bright spot away from hot direct sun and it will thrive with minimal upkeep.

 

Placement of Air Purifying House Plants

All these plants must be placed carefully if you are going to utilize them properly, while simultaneously making sure that your home looks as nice as possible. If the plant is unable to flourish then it won’t be able to do its job, so it’s important to ensure that you provide the best growing conditions for your plants.

Consider their light requirements as some prefer hot sun, while other enjoy a shaded spot. If their leaves become scorched then they will be less effective at purifying the air.  You’ll also need to learn how much water each plant requires, and remember to feed them regularly too!

©Shutterstock: Position plants carefully to ensure that they flourish.

You may even need an unassembled cabinet to store all the equipment one needs to grow plants indoors. It will save you the hassle of going outside to the shed to fetch tools for your houseplants each time they need some attention.

Houseplants are an awesome way of purifying the air in your home in a perfectly safe and 100 percent natural manner. There are plenty of plants that can detoxify your home, and purify the air you breathe in your living space so it’s well worth investing in a few.

 

How to pinch out fuchsias

by | Jun 5, 2021 | Fuchsia Festival, Gardening Posts, News in the Gardening World | 0 Comments

Fuchsia ‘Swingtime’ from Thompson & Morgan

Compact bushy fuchsias look fantastic planted in patio containers
Image: Fuchsia ‘Swingtime’ from Thompson & Morgan

Longtime fuchsia enthusiast Carol Gubler explains here how to pinch out your fuchsia plants to control flowering time, grow bushier plants, and kickstart extravagant blooming. Carol draws from a lifetime of experience with these fabulous flowers to create excellent tips and advice you can trust. Don’t miss the video demonstration below too!

How to pinch out a young fuchsia plant

Fuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ from Thompson & Morgan

Pinch out your fuchsias to produce more flower bearing stems
Image: Fuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ from Thompson & Morgan

What we’re aiming for when we grow fuchsias is lots of flowers. If we just leave the plant to grow as it wants to, generally we’d get a straggly plant with fewer flowers. However, if we take control by pinching out our fuchsias, we’ll get the best flowering results!

So what is pinching out? If you want to grow a fuchsia that has a bushy growth, then you’re going to need to pinch or remove the growing tip at a fairly early stage. If you want to grow a fuchsia standard, avoid pinching out the top growth and follow a standard specific growers guide.

I let the rooted fuchsia cutting or plug plant grow to 3 pairs of leaves (about 2” tall) before removing the very tip of the plant. I remove the very smallest bit at the top, however if you want to use the bit that you take off to strike a cutting, then you may want to let the plant grow slightly taller so that you can safely take off a larger tip. Remove the tip growth with a sharp pair of scissors. Make sure that the cut is just above the next set of leaves, as a piece of stem left behind alone may rot.

How does pinching out fuchsias produce more flowers?

Fuchsia ‘Hawkshead’ from Thompson & Morgan

Control your fuchsia flower displays in summer by pinching out young plants
Image: Fuchsia ‘Hawkshead’ from Thompson & Morgan

Removing the growing tip stimulates the side shoots into growth, so that instead of having one main stem, the side shoots will take precedence. Let those side shoots grow until they have two or three pairs of leaves, then remove their growing tips. Repeat this process until you’re happy with your fuchsia form. Having pinched out several times you’ll have a nice bushy plant with lots of growth.

Remember that each time you remove a growing tip, you’re going to at least double the numbers of main shoots. Each plant will be different in its growth – for a slow growing plant or a very short jointed one, you may want to allow more time between pinches. A fast growing and rampant plant may need to be pinched out more often.

What other benefits come from pinching out my fuchsia plants?

Fuchsia ‘Royal Mosaic’ from Thompson & Morgan 

Control when your fuchsia flowers by pinching out the growing tips
Image: Fuchsia ‘Royal Mosaic’ from Thompson & Morgan

Pinching out does several things, firstly it creates a bushy plant, secondly it gives you control of the plant’s growth and finally, and perhaps most importantly, it gives you a degree of control of when the plant will flower!

Different flower types flower at different times. As a general rule:

The word “about” is vital, as we can never guarantee when the plant will flower but it does give us a rough guideline!

Top advice for pinching out plant tips – video guide

Watch the video to see how you can improve the flowering capacity of your fuchsia plants.

For more help with growing and caring for fuchsias, visit our fuchsias hub page for a wealth of practical information.

How to Plant up Hanging Baskets

by | Jun 4, 2021 | Gardening Posts | 5 Comments

Petunia 'Surfinia' Collection from Thompson & Morgan

Create an amazing display with little effort!
Image: Petunia ‘Surfinia’ Collection from Thompson & Morgan

Hanging baskets are an easy way to add interest, scent and colour without much effort! Simply choose your colour scheme, order some hanging basket plants and follow the three easy steps described below.

Your baskets will quickly fill out to provide a stunning display that frames your front entrance, brightens up bare walls and fences, or brings to life a tired garage or shed. Here’s our quick guide to planting up hanging baskets for maximum effect…

1. Choose the right hanging basket

BloomAround Hanging Basket from Thompson & Morgan

Baskets with side ‘gates’ allow for more plants than traditional top fill types
Image: BloomAround Hanging Basket from Thompson & Morgan

Any type of container can be used as a makeshift hanging basket – we’ve even seen old clothes used as planters! But the quickest and easiest way is to invest in an Easy Fill Hanging Basket. These are long-lasting and easy to use. Thanks to the little gates around the sides, the roots of your plants won’t be damaged when you tuck them in. For more options, see our collection of hanging basket accessories and decide which style works best for you.

2. Choose the best hanging basket plants

Top Class Colour themed collection from Thompson & Morgan

Try a themed colour collection for a stylish display
Image: Top Class Colour themed collection from Thompson & Morgan

For the best results, decide on a colour scheme before choosing a mixture of trailing and upright plants. Some people prefer a single colour theme, while others opt for a striking contrast such as yellow and blue. If you’re not confident when it comes to choosing colours, try one of our themed collections for a tried and tested combination that’s sure to impress.

Geraniums and pelargoniums are a popular choice that come in a variety of colours. Trailing varieties should be planted on the outside of your basket so they can cascade over the edge and provide interest all summer long. Pop an upright geranium in the centre to give your display some height.

Fuchsias also make great basket plants. As with geraniums, use trailing varieties on the outside and then upright varieties in the centre.

If you prefer a mixed display, browse our full selection of hanging basket plants for inspiration – begonias, petunias, lobelia and verbena all make wonderful choices.

When it comes to how many plants to plant in your hanging basket, the more the merrier – pack them in for a full display which will look beautiful cascading and tumbling from the baskets (one little plant won’t have much impact!) As a general guide 5-8 plants should fill a 12″ basket, but if they don’t have a bushy habit, up to 10-12 plants can be used to create a really show stopping display.

If you’re planting up a winter hanging basket, take a look at our annual bedding plants where you’ll find a wide selection of pansies, primulas, primroses and other winter bedding varieties.

3. Look after your hanging basket plants

Osteospermum ‘Falling Stars’ from Thompson & Morgan

These trailing African Daisies make a striking hanging basket display
Image: Osteospermum ‘Falling Stars’ from Thompson & Morgan

Feeding and Watering

The main thing to remember with hanging baskets is that the plant is completely dependent on you for water and nutrition. Plants in the ground can send their roots out to forage for water or nutrients. Those planted in pots and baskets, can’t.

Before planting, add some Incredibloom® to your compost. This will give your plants all the nutrients they need to put on a great display all season long. Tests have shown that this can help your plants produce up to 4 times as many flowers.

Once planted up, make sure your hanging baskets are kept moist – never bone dry and never sitting in puddles. We recommend a good soaking, before leaving them to drain until the soil is just moist. It’s best to water your baskets early in the morning or in the evening to reduce water loss to evaporation.

Shaping hanging basket plants

Once your plants start growing they’ll take on their own shape. If something starts to look a bit straggly, lightly prune to tidy the shape. Some people like wild baskets and some like neat; it’s entirely up to you. Just make sure that you don’t get carried away – too much pruning can also remove some of the flower buds!

To prune hanging basket plants, cut at the stem just above a leaf joint – the plant will heal over at that point. To stop your plants getting taller, nip out the growing tip at a leaf joint. Sometimes we can be a little fearful of cutting and trimming our plants in case we cause any damage, but there’s not much that can go wrong.

How to plant a hanging basket video guide

Take a look at this hanging basket video from Michael Perry, where he shows just how easy it is to start a wonderful display.

Want to plan something more adventurous? You’ll find plenty of planting inspiration along with a wealth of top tips over at our dedicated hanging basket hub page.

The next generation of climbing fuchsias

by | Jun 4, 2021 | Gardening Posts | 9 Comments

Fuchsia 'Pink Fizz' from Thompson & Morgan

Fuchsia ‘Pink Fizz’ produces flowers from top to bottom
Image: Fuchsia ‘Pink Fizz’ from Thompson & Morgan

Climbing fuchsias combine vigorous vertical growth and exceptional flower power. Forget straggly honeysuckle, clematis, and virginia creeper – climbing fuchsias offer a classier alternative and they’re much easier to prune! Here are some of the best climbing fuchsia plants to try in your garden.

read more…

Hanging basket habits revealed

by | Jun 1, 2021 | Expert Update, flowers, Fuchsia Festival, Gardening Posts, News in the Gardening World, Petunia Parade | 3 Comments

Nurserymans Choice Hanging Basket Mixed Collection from T&M

A vibrant display of hanging baskets can make your garden in summer pop!
Image: Nurserymans Choice Hanging Basket Mixed Collection from T&M

A recent Thompson & Morgan survey has revealed some surprising habits, when it comes to summer hanging baskets.

Love them or loathe them, nothing sets up the garden for summer like a vibrant display of hanging baskets. Thompson & Morgan, the UK’s leading mail order supplier of seasonal basket plants, asked the nation’s gardeners how they use hanging baskets to best effect. The findings were most interesting…

read more…

Suffolk train stations back in bloom

by | May 31, 2021 | Begonias, Expert Update, flowers, Gardening Posts, inspiration for the garden, News in the Gardening World, Summer gardening | 0 Comments

Ipswich Station Thompson Morgan, ActivLives' gardeners and Jackie Station Manager at Ipswich

The T&M team, ActivLives’ gardeners and station manager Jackie at Ipswich Train Station

Colour has returned to Ipswich and Stowmarket train stations thanks to a partnership between train operator Abellio Greater Anglia, local seed and plant specialist Thompson & Morgan and Ipswich-based charity ActivLives.

In a repeat of last year’s amazing hanging basket displays, volunteers and young learners from ActivLives have been busy growing baskets of Thompson & Morgans’ best selling Begonia ‘Apricot Shades’. This year they’ve added Begonia ‘Fragrant Falls’ to the mix, to provide scent as well as colour to the platforms.

Begonia 'Fragrant Falls' & Begonia 'Fragrant Falls' at Ipswich Station

Begonia ‘Fragrant Falls’ & Begonia ‘Apricot Shades’ from T&M at Ipswich Station

Not only will the baskets brighten up the journeys of everyone who passes through the stations on the London to Norwich mainline, the project has provided local young people with valuable horticultural experience. Participants from a number of organisations, including WS Training, Talent Match and Seetec, take part in training programmes at ActivLives’ two garden projects in Ipswich to gain skills for work.

The ActivLives team planted up the baskets back in April. They have since tended the Begonia blooms at the glasshouses in the walled garden at Chantry Park, bringing them into peak condition for display at the train stations.

Ipswich Station Thompson Morgan with ActivLives' gardeners

Ipswich Train Station with Thompson & Morgan Blooms

Thompson & Morgan’s Horticultural Director, Paul Hansord said:

“We were pleased with last year’s baskets, but ActivLives has outperformed themselves this year, with bigger and better baskets for real impact. Planted in incredicompost® and fed with incredbloom® at planting time, these baskets look stunning and will continue to perform right through to autumn. Requiring minimal care from station staff – spent flowers simply fall off to be replaced by fresh new blooms. The addition of Begonia ‘Fragrant Falls’ should really lift the spirits of workers on their daily commute and provide a warm welcome for visitors and tourists passing through both stations.”

For help and information on growing and caring for your own begonias, visit our begonias hub page for a wealth of resources.

Begonia trial – new obsession?

by | May 25, 2021 | Fucshia, Gardening Posts | 2 Comments

Begonia x tuberhybrida 'Apricot Shades Improved' F1 Hybrid

Begonia ‘Apricot Shades Improved’ F1 Hybrid adds colour & dimension to every part of your garden
Image: Thompson & Morgan

As part of a regular series, award-winning gardener Jean Willis explains her latest obsession with begonias and shares an honest account of the recent successes and failures in her fabulous container garden. If you’re looking for new begonia plants or fuchsias to try, Jean’s garden is the one to watch!

Plants to be passionate about – Begonia ‘Apricot Shades’

Begonia ‘Apricot Shades’ in Jean’s container garden

Begonia ‘Apricot Shades’ in Jean’s container garden
Image: Jean Willis

Passion or Obsession? This year I’ve planted over 200 Begonia ‘Apricot Shades’, bought as garden-ready plants. They’ve nearly all gone into hanging baskets, window boxes and tubs. I’ve been asked if I’m obsessed with them and, while I hadn’t really thought about it like that, maybe I am! I’m always thrilled when they’re all flowering, especially if I catch the early sun shining on them.

I recently had a head count and found I had a triple basket (12”, 14” and 16”) joined together by a chain that my husband made for me, 5 single hanging baskets, two half-baskets, a window box and several containers. Two half barrel containers are currently overflowing with apricot flowers.

Plants to be passionate about – Fuchsias

Jean Willis Fuchsia collection

Fuchsias grow happily in containers or the ground
Image: Jean Willis

My other passion is fuchsias. I bought Fuchsia ‘Icing Sugar’ to try out last year, and they’ve been very successful. Another favourite fuchsia is called ‘Wendy’s Beauty’. It has a pretty mauve and white flower, and I grow these for my sister Wendy who lives in California.

This year I bought some Giant Flowered Fuchsias from T&M and they certainly grow like their name! This year, for something different, I’m growing a climbing fuchsia called ‘Swingtime’ in one of T&M’s tower pots; it has now reached the top of the trellis and is flowering profusely.

Having decided to grow petunias again this year after a couple of unsuccessful attempts, I’m now thinking that maybe I should have chosen something else. We’ve had such awful winds and rain that a couple of containers were completely destroyed one night, but I was pleased to discover that the Petunia ‘Night Sky’ and Petunia ‘Amore Queen of Hearts’ stood up to the rain quite well. I think I’ll grow smaller petunias in future, rather than the big ones, although I really like them.

Was it a bird? Was it a squirrel?

A sugar glider in full ‘flight’

A sugar glider in full ‘flight’
Image: Jean Willis

…I actually found out later that it was a Sugar Glider from Australia! On my last visit to a garden centre, I saw something on the trunk of one of the Yucca trees just outside the entrance. As we got closer it looked like a baby squirrel but then it took off and jumped about 10 metres onto a wall covered in ivy. We watched it for a few minutes before it disappeared. On checking Google I found that Sugar Gliders are sometimes bought in this country as a pet but, because they’re very difficult to keep, they’re then let loose. I hope it survived all the rain we’ve had lately. I’m just grateful that Alan was with me; otherwise I might have thought I was seeing things!

I hope you’re all enjoying your gardens this summer. Don`t forget the sunscreen and hat! Until the next time…Happy Gardening.

Jean

For more help and information on growing and caring for your begonias, visit our begonias hub page, which links to a series of online resources.

Growing a fuchsia standard

by | May 24, 2021 | Fuchsia Festival, Gardening Posts, News in the Gardening World | 0 Comments

Fuchsia 'Angela' from Thompson & Morgan

Standard fuchsias such as ‘Angela’ adds height & colour to your garden.
Image: Thompson & Morgan

Growing a fuchsia standard is a great way to show off these elegant, jewel-coloured flowers while adding height and colour to your border. Also ideal for containers, standard fuchsias make a statement on your patio, balcony or positioned either side of your front door. Here’s how to train your own fuchsia plants into striking standards.

What is a fuchsia standard?

Fuchsia ‘Elma’ (hardy) (standard) from T&M

Ideal for containers, fuchsia standards should be overwintered in a frost-free position
Image: Fuchsia ‘Elma’ (hardy) (standard) from Thompson & Morgan

Fuchsia standards have a clear main stem topped with a dense, round head of foliage. Created through pinch pruning, they make superb specimen plants. However patience is required as it can take up to 18 months of careful training to achieve the lollipop style shape required. Here’s how to get yours started:

  • Allow a young fuchsia stem to grow upright, whilst removing all the side shoots as they develop. Don’t remove the leaves from the main stem, as these will feed the plant.
  • Tie the main stem to a cane to provide support as it grows.
  • Once the fuchsia plant reaches 20cm (8″) taller than the desired height, pinch out the stem tip.
  • New side shoots will be produced at the top of the plant and these will form the head of the standard. Pinch out the tips of each side shoot when it produces 2 to 4 sets of leaves. Continue pinch pruning until a rounded head has formed.
  • The leaves on the main stem will be shed naturally over time, or can be carefully removed.
  • To overwinter standard fuchsias, they should be moved to a frost-free position during the winter months to protect their vulnerable stem from frost damage, regardless of how hardy the variety is.

Check out our fuchsia hub page for more information and links to online resources about growing and caring for your fuchsias.

Author: Sue Sanderson

 

Getting the best from your fuchsias – our growing secrets revealed

by | May 24, 2021 | Gardening Posts | 2 Comments

Fuchsia ‘Dollar Princess’ from T&M

Fuchsias need some attention to ensure they stay blooming all summer long
Image: Fuchsia ‘Dollar Princess’ from Thompson & Morgan

Fuchsias require very little care to put on a fantastic show, but for the best displays it pays to learn a few simple tricks and tips. Take a quick look at the T&M horticultural team’s trade secrets, and make sure your favourite fuchsia plants look their best all summer long.

Best growing conditions for fuchsias

Fuchsia ‘Delta’s Sarah’ (hardy) from T&M

The unusual blue flowers of ‘Delta’s Sarah’ increase each year given the right conditions
Image: Fuchsia ‘Delta’s Sarah’ (hardy) from Thompson & Morgan

For a fantastic fuchsia display this summer, here’s how to get the conditions right:

  • Plant in fertile, moist, but well-drained soil, with shelter from cold, drying winds. Ahead of planting, work plenty of rotted compost or manure into the area with some slow release fertiliser.
  • In patio containers and window boxes use a 50:50 mix of multipurpose compost and soil-based John Innes No.2 compost. Again, add some slow release fertiliser ahead of planting.
  • In hanging baskets, stick to multipurpose compost to keep the weight down, but add some Swell Gel to reduce watering needs in the height of summer.

Best places to plant different types of fuchsia

Fuchsia ‘Sparkling Giant’ Collection

Trailing fuchsias are perfect for hanging baskets and window boxes
Image: Fuchsia ‘Sparkling Giant’ Collection from Thompson & Morgan

Depending on the type of fuchsia you prefer, follow the ‘right plant in the right place’ rule to get the most from these elegant blooms:

  • Use hardy fuchsia varieties for permanent planting – use as specimen shrubs or seasonal floral hedging.
  • Use trailing fuchsia varieties in baskets and containers at height or as seasonal ground cover.
  • Use upright fuchsia varieties in patio containers and window boxes or as gap fillers in the border.

How to grow on fuchsia plug plants

Fuchsia ‘Elma’ (hardy) standard from T&M

Train a fuchsia into a standard or buy one that’s been started for you
Image: Fuchsia ‘Elma’ (hardy) standard from Thompson & Morgan

Young fuchsias are frost-tender and need to be grown on in warm, frost-free conditions before planting out at the end of May or early June. As soon as your plug plants arrive, pot them on into small pots or cell trays filled with multipurpose compost and wait until it’s warm enough to plant them out.

Early training:

  • Pinch out the soft stem tips once the plugs have put on three leaf sets – simply remove the tip and top pair of leaves with scissors, snips or fingers. This encourages bushier, compact plants and more flowers.
  • Pinch out 2 or 3 more times once each of the resulting side shoots has developed three pairs of leaves – the first flowers will start to bloom 5-8 weeks after the last pinching.

Later training:

  • The early training above will create a bush.
  • You could experiment and create a fan or espalier, similar to fruit tree training. This is best done with hardy varieties and done over several years to create a truly impressive flowering wall shrub.
  • It’s easy to train a standard fuchsia (long bare stem with a lollipop canopy), but it can take 18 months to achieve. For more in-depth instructions, see our full article on growing a fuchsia standard.

On-going maintenance:

  • Feeding: Fresh compost should supply enough nutrients for 4-6 weeks of growth. Start to offer a balanced liquid feed after this time, once or twice a month through the season. Alternatively, for fuss-free feeding with impressive results, mix our long lasting Incredibloom® plant food with your compost at planting time for 7 months of controlled feeding.
  • Watering: Keep compost and soil moist at all times. In the height of summer, baskets and small containers may need watering twice daily – do this early morning and late evening to avoid scorching the foliage.
  • Deadheading: Look for faded blooms every time you go past your plants – the more you remove, the more your plants will bloom.

Try a little tenderness!

Fuchsia aborescens from Thompson & Morgan

This tender fuchsia bears large panicles of scented pink flowers, followed by purple fruits
Image: Fuchsia aborescens from Thompson & Morgan

While there are some fantastic hardy fuchsias available it’s usually the tender varieties that provide the most impressive floral displays. You can overwinter container plants in a frost-free location for re-using the following year – but you might not need to! Tender varieties are getting tougher and tougher and you may find they’ll survive winter in your garden soil with little to no protection.

Experiment this year with one of your favourite plants – leave it in place at the end of the season, cutting it back by a third and mulching around the base. With luck you’ll be rewarded with re-growth next spring. If not, you can always reorder fresh plug plants in spring for guaranteed success next summer. If you’re looking for more help with growing and caring for your fuchsias, there are links to plenty of handy resources on our fuchsias hub page.

Author: Kris Collins

 

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