How to Grow Fuchsias

Flowering from late spring until the first autumn frosts, fuchsias are among the most popular and versatile of garden plants. They come in hues from pale pink and white to deep purple and blue, and can be grown both outdoors and inside, in summer beds, greenhouses, hanging pots, baskets and wall troughs. They also have many different growing habits, from upright and bushy to trailing and cascading, and are easy to train into graceful shapes such as standards, pyramids, espaliers and fans, or even bonsai and topiary.This book shows how to grow fuchsias in every possible setting. It begins with ideas for using fuchsias in a garden scheme, covering both hardy and non-hardy types, and how to combine them with other evergreen and deciduous shrubs to add interest to flowerbeds all year round. Next, a section on the container garden shows how to grow fuchsias in pots, urns, troughs, boxes, hanging baskets, wall pots and chimney pots, with ideas for creating eye-catching displays and creating different moods within the garden. Indoor fuchsias need different treatment, and there is useful advice on growing them successfully in the house, as well as how to overwinter fuchsias in the conservatory and maintain cool conditions for them in the summer shadehouse. A comprehensive techniques section looks at every aspect of basic fuchsia care, from selecting varieties and choosing the right composts and feeds through to propagating, potting on, multi-planting, pruning and training. Advice on how to deal with pests and diseases is included, as well as a detailed calendar of care to remind you of key tasks throughout the year. Containing a wealth of practical advice, step-by-step instructions and 550 specially commissioned photographs, this is the ideal reference book for everyone who has a passion for these beautiful and well-loved plants.Beautifully illustrated with 550 photographs showing gardening techniques and varietiesA practical guide to cultivating fuchsias in beds, borders, hedges and cottage gardens, including ideas for planting in pots and baskets, and how to make trained shapes Techniques for growing fuchsias in the garden, from summer bedding, shrub borders and rockeries to permanent beds, hedges and cottage gardensExplains how to select fuchsia plants, choosing composts and feeds, hybridizing, propagating, potting on, pruning, overwintering, and controlling pests and diseasesIdeas for growing fuchsias in a wide range of containers, including pots, urns, troughs, boxes, hanging baskets, chimney pots, planting bags and flower tubesIncludes specialist step-by-step instructions for making trained shapes, such as shrubs, bushes, standards, pyramids, pillars, espaliers, fans, bonsai and topiaryHow to grow fuchsia plants both outdoors and inside, in conservatories, greenhouses and shadehouses

John Nicholass runs his own local gardening business in the south-west of England. He is very interested in all aspects of gardening, and has collected and grown fuchsias for more than 25 years, both in his own garden and for exhibition at local and national shows. He is on the committee of the British Fuchsia Society, and both secretary and show secretary of the Bristol Fuchsia & Geranium Society.