The Herald - The Herald Magazine

Fuchsias How to shepherd hardy varieties through the hostility of a Scottish winter

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AS the long, generous flowering season of fuchsias draws to a close, the challenge with hardy varieties is nursing them through the coming months. Unsurprisi­ngly, many of these Central and South American plants are too tender to survive a Scottish winter. We treat these varieties as annual bedding plants, growing them in pots or hanging baskets. If you want to grow them as perennials, you need to bring them into a conservato­ry or a heated greenhouse now.

But the hardier specimens reliably thrive in coastal west and southern Scotland or the more sheltered parts of the south east. A cold, inland garden could be challengin­g. Please don’t write in to tell me your fuchsia does well in Dalwhinnie: every garden has a microclima­te and can break all the rules.

Even if it won’t succeed in one of Scotland’s highest villages, Fuchsia Bernisser Hardy does live up to its name. In a recent trial, Which? Gardening recommende­d it as a best buy. The magazine trialled it in Clarkston, Glasgow, so the plant should do well in the west. If you want a hardy plant, look out for varieties such as this one with small flowers – they’re usually much tougher than those with large, flouncy ones.

However hardy a variety, everything depends on the severity of the winter. Devastatin­gly harsh ones still occur. If, unlike me, you live in a sheltered area, you can take steps to give your fuchsias – and other small, woody shrubs – a chance.

Start by laying a thick mulch round the plant. This keeps the soil warm and prevents the ground from freezing, thereby damaging roots. Cold winds can kill next year’s buds so protect the stems by wrapping fleece round the shrub, using sticks to prevent the fleece from touching the stems. Alternativ­ely, construct a wigwam, with conifer branches or other fanned branches like hazel.

Garden centres and online firms carry a range of fleece jackets and bags if you don’t fancy the DIY approach. They come in all sizes and usually have a draw string to secure the base and a zip or Velcro fastenings for easy fitting.

Don’t leave the covers on during mild spells as they reduce air circulatio­n and create a humid atmosphere. Since the covers can be erected and removed in a few minutes, only use them during a cold snap. You’ll need to shake any snow off the cover to stop it squashing the fuchsia.

After a mild winter in a favoured spot, many fuchsias grow taller, but the stems may die back after a very cold winter. You’ll then need to cut them to ground level, but don’t do this till you’re sure the branches are dead. Removing old vegetation when the weather warms up allows new buds to emerge at ground level.

Roots have a much better chance of surviving winter in the open ground than in a pot, but you should be able to nurse smaller container-grown fuchsias through that killing spell, especially if you can move the pot under cover. For extra insulation, wrap a layer of bubblewrap round planters and pack small pots closely together.

Although plants get some protection in a cold greenhouse or polytunnel, you may still need to use fleece during a cold snap. It will be easier and cheaper to drape fleece over the plants rather than deploy a fleece jacket.

If the container is staying outdoors, allow for good drainage by lifting it off the ground with pot feet or sticking a few old slates or bricks underneath. Fuchsias rot unless growing in well-drained soil, and soggy compost freezes hard during an icy spell.

 ?? PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTO­CK ?? Fuchsias with small flowers are typically more robust than those with large blooms Hawkshead A bushy upright shrub; grows to 110cm, spread 100cm. Dark green foliage, with small white flowers and pale lilac tube, in bloom AugustOcto­ber. Whiteknigh­ts...
PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTO­CK Fuchsias with small flowers are typically more robust than those with large blooms Hawkshead A bushy upright shrub; grows to 110cm, spread 100cm. Dark green foliage, with small white flowers and pale lilac tube, in bloom AugustOcto­ber. Whiteknigh­ts...

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