PLANT OF THE WEEK

If you’re more familiar with the half-hardy fuchsias of summer tubs and hanging baskets, hardy fuchsias are a shock. As the name suggests, they live outside all year, rather than just for a few months on the patio.

As well as the old-fashioned dewdrop flowers, there are numerous new varieties.

Hardy fuchsias are happy in most reasonable soils, especially if there’s plenty of organic matter to retain moisture, and they need little attention.

A very cold winter kills some or all of the stems, so give them a careful prune in late April – when you can see new growth – and reshape the plants.

In most years, gardeners in mildish spots never need to prune at all. Give them a mulch and feed in late spring and they’ll be perfectly happy.