Day 327: Gardeners think of Fuchsias largely in terms of the showy annuals we see in hanging baskets, but there are hardy varieties, some of which even have blossoms as large as those of the annuals. By and large, their stems are woodier and they grow as sprangly bushes which have the potential for taking over six feet of your garden unless you keep them pruned. The flowers come in almost as wide a variety of combinations as those of the annuals, and hummingbirds love to visit them. Some even produce an edible fruit!
I have used the term "edible" loosely here. While not bad-tasting, these little berries are not particularly flavourful, either. They are slightly sweet, but the seedless soft flesh is only very lightly fruity. Eaten three or four at a time, they make me wonder what the result would be if I made a jelly of them the old-fashioned way, boiling down the juice until it set without the addition of pectin. The slightly perfumy note to the meat might produce a truly unique product if I could only gather enough of them for a half-pint (only two of my five varieties of hardy fuchsia have developed berries)! For now, I nibble on them on my way to and from the mailbox, rather more to enjoy the experience of having such an unusual fruit in my garden than for the taste.
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