Fuchsia masterclass: best expert content

If you love fuchsias and want to fill your borders, hanging baskets, and patio containers with elegant flowers, we’ve scoured the internet to find the most helpful online content. With advice on overwintering, taking cuttings, troubleshooting, and suggestions for new varieties to try, these experienced garden bloggers have a wealth of knowledge to share. Here’s everything you need to know about growing your own fabulous fuchsias.

This article was reviewed by the T&M horticultural team and updated on 2 January 2024.

Sow fuchsia seeds for lots of cost-effective plants

Try growing fuchsias from seed, says YouTuber, Ray of Gardening For Beginners. Sowing your own seed is cheap, you don’t need much space, and it’s a great way to produce lots of plants for your hanging baskets and containers. Fuchsias are notoriously hard to germinate, but Ray’s informative video, ‘How to Grow Fuchsia from Seed – Start to Finish’, provides a step-by-step process which shows you exactly how to maximise your chances of success.

Control when your fuchsias come into flower

Did you know you can control when your fuchsias flower to suit you? Eric Coupland does it, and shows us how to do the same — it’s as simple as removing buds and controlling the temperature. Take a look at his Facebook account for some great videos, writings, and photos of his stunning fuchsia collection. An expert at producing fuchsia ‘standards’ for shows, Eric has plenty of expert wisdom to share.

Experiment with hybridisation to create new plants

Learn how to hybridise your fuchsias to create brand new blooms. On his Youtube channel, Spare Time Gardening with Simon, Simon takes you through the process from start to finish, explaining which part of the fuchsia flower produces pollen and how to tell if it’s ready for fertilising. Simon’s video ‘How to Hybridize Fuchsias’ is visually detailed and includes annotations to make the process even clearer.

Harvest edible fuchsia berries

Who knew that some fuchsia berries are edible? Derek from @fiveminutegardener says they taste like kiwi fruit. Eat them straight from the bush, make them into jam, or pair them with greek yoghurt and a drizzle of honey — this Instagrammer’s particular favourite. Just check that the variety you’re growing is edible first. Follow Derek for friendly advice that makes growing fun and accessible for all ages.

Forage fuchsia berries for a tasty treat

Fuchsias make excellent coastal plants, and often grow close to the shore. Forager, research herbalist and wild food expert @monicawilde recently picked 1.5kgs of tasty berries at the beach to make a fuchsia berry pie! But be selective. Not all fuchsia berries taste wonderful (especially if not fully ripe). Filled with inspirational images and advice on how to find and prepare wild food, follow Monica ‘Mo’ Wilde on Instagram for more fascinating tips.

Strike softwood cuttings of your favourite fuchsias

Find out how to get more fuchsias for your money with this tip from Ian of YouTube channel, DIY Home and Gardening. He says, when you buy a fuchsia, always take softwood cuttings before you plant it out. To learn how, make sure you watch his excellent video that takes you through exactly how to propagate your own free plants in just 2-3 weeks! An experienced plantsman, Ian is generous with his knowledge and has a friendly presentation style that’s always engaging. Check out his video and learn how to ‘strike’ yourself a new fuchsia now.

Take hardwood cuttings of tender fuchsias

If you’re short on space for overwintering your tender fuchsias, John Moore of Pyracantha explains how to take hardwood cuttings as you prune this autumn. Just one of many handy nuggets of information packed into his article about ‘Growing Fuchsias’, taking hardwood cuttings guarantees plenty of fresh, new growth next spring. You’ll love John Moore’s writing — his non nonsense, down-to-earth style makes information easy to read and digest.

Grow fuchsias in full sun to help them survive cold winters

“The micro climate for a fuchsia can help it survive. If grown in full sun the wood will ripen to a firm brown twig that resists freezing,” says blogger Tejvan of Gardeners Tips. Just one tip from Tejvan’s checklist for overwintering hardy fuchsias, check out the rest of his ‘Overwintering Fuchsias’ article to discover how to protect your favourite tender and hardy fuchsias ready to bloom again next season. Tejvan now lives in the south of the UK, but having spent years gardening in the Pennines, his advice is especially useful for fuchsia lovers from cooler climes.

Feed your fuchsias for more flower power

“Although many fuchsia plants are naturally floriferous, feeding them every few weeks throughout the summer with a soluble fertiliser (especially those grown in hanging baskets and containers) is well-worth the few minutes of effort,” says Sue Sanderson, a horticultural expert writing for the Thompson & Morgan blog. Regular feeding will encourage an endless supply of flowers. Check out Sue’s article for step-by-step instructions on planting, caring for and getting the most from your fuchsias.

Troubleshoot common fuchsia problems to revive your plants

“The easiest way to figure out what is afflicting your fuchsia is to look at the most common symptom,” says Daniel, creator of Patient Gardener. Here he draws on his extensive experience as a professional gardener to create a user-friendly resource for plant-lovers everywhere. Grey-brown mould on your fuchsia leaves? It might be botrytis blight, says Daniel. Check out his article ‘How to Revive a Fuchsia’ to find out what to do about it.

Recognise the early signs of fuchsia gall mite

It may be only 0.25mm long, but ‘Fuchsia Gall Mite’ plays havoc with your fuchsias, say the team behind Garden.Help. Their profile of the pest equips you with the ability to quickly recognise a fuchsia gall mite infection. Look out for “stunted, distorted shoot growth which often has a red or greenish yellow colour,” they say – it’s a tell-tale sign of infection. The three creators of Garden.Help offer a wealth of gardening advice backed with years of experience.

Create a fuchsia hedge

Hardy fuchsias make a great hedge, says Instagram gardener Alexa over at @alexadisimone2019. She cuts them back quite hard when they’ve finished flowering, but otherwise she leaves them alone to do their thing. Luckily for Alexa, their ‘thing’ is flowering for months on end along the side of her house! Check out her photos to see more.

Make fuchsias a feature in vertical gardens

A professional landscape designer who specialises in vertical gardens, Daniel from @danielbelldesign says he has fuchsias in all his outdoor living walls. Why? “They flower for at least 6 months of the year, [are] really tolerant plants, and you can eat the flowers…” Follow this inspirational designer on Instagram for more unusual ideas on how to pack plants into every inch of everyday life – even without compost!

Use fuchsias to brighten up dark corners

Fuchsias stay in flower for a long time, and they’re particularly good for brightening up a gloomy area, says Andrew, the professional gardener behind @andrew.crabb2. He recommends fuchsia ‘Hawkshead’ with its elegant white blooms. Growing at the base of a north-facing house wall, he says that his plant is flourishing. “It has had a few flowers since July but in the last month [October] it has become smothered in blooms.”

Hardy fuchsias often have fantastic foliage

Fuchsia foliage can be just as exciting as the flowers. Here, blogger Alan Down of Down to Earth presents ‘Fuchsias that are hardy in Britain’. Listing all his favourites, Alan suggests Fuchsia ‘Genii’ for bright golden foliage or Fuchsia ‘Sunray’ for sprawling growth and silvery pink tinged leaves. Alan is an expert container grower with a successful career in the horticultural industry; trust him for great garden advice.

Try fuchsia ‘giants’ for a dazzling display

“Perhaps you’ll allow me to blow your flowery mind with fuchsias the size of your hand; fuchsias you can eat; and more…” says Michael Perry aka Mr Plant Geek. In his article ‘5 very different fuchsias you need to try in your garden’, he recommends fuchsia ‘Giants’ for their enormous blooms. Find out what other cultivars Michael has in store by checking out his excellent article. Many years’ experience of working in the horticultural sector make Mr Plant Geek your go-to for fuchsia advice.

Enjoy new fuchsia varieties for long-lasting colour

“I would have no hesitation in recommending fuchsias to any garden owner wanting long lasting and interesting colour in their garden,” says Geoff Stonebanks, writing for the Thompson & Morgan blog. In his post about the ‘Fuchsia Festival at Driftwood’, Geoff recommends Fuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ and Fuchsia ‘Lady in Black’ for stunning displays all summer long. A prolific fuchsia grower, Geoff uses his multi-award-winning garden to raise money for good causes.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our selection of the best fuchsia content available, and feel ready to get started with planting and growing your own spectacular fuchsias. If you’re still hungry for even more fuchsia info, check out our fuchsia hub page. Do you know of a great article we’ve missed? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, or tag us at #YourTMGarden.