Army Nurse

Day 222: The first of my hardy fuchsias to bloom (admittedly with a head-start from the nursery), "Army Nurse" is putting on a spectacular show. Hummingbirds love these flowers, so I've planted four varieties to date: Army Nurse, Genii, Dollar Princess and Erecta, all but the latter bearing flowers in the red/purple range. Erecta is pink and white. Genii is a small-flowered variety, the one most often seen in gardens. In fact, it was only two years ago that I discovered there were hardy (perennial) fuchsias with blossoms as large as the annual varieties. Most will withstand winter temperatures to 10° or lower without mulching, so why would anyone fuss with annuals when durable perennials are available? I wish I had room for more!

Hardy Fuchsia

Day 336: With an eye to attracting more hummingbirds and butterflies to my garden, I have a slip of hardy (perennial) fuchsia in a pot bedded to the rim in the garden. It was "pinched" from a friend's old, woody plant somewhat brutally and only had a few threads of root attached, but as she told me, "It's hard to kill." As I have done with other shrubs, I will keep it in the pot through the winter so that its root system can develop in confinement. Next spring, I'll plant it in a permanent location. A natural diet is best for hummers, and easier on the sugar budget, too!