462 
Hardy Fuchsias. 
Several of the species of Fuchsia are hardy 
in some parts of the British Isles, and a 
smaller number can practically he cultivated 
in most parts of Great Britain and Ireland. 
Their cultivation is so simple that no garden, 
large or small, should he without some of 
them where they will grow without protection. 
Some of them are really hardier than they 
generally get credit for, so that some highly 
ornamental garden plants are neglected for 
the simple reason that their hardiness is mis¬ 
understood. . 
In the South and West of England within 
the influence of the sea, and even in Scotland 
under the same conditions, the hardier 
Fuchsias seldom or never get cut down by 
frost, but continue te increase in stature and 
strength year after year. Where they succeed 
so admirably as this, many villa and cottage 
gardens owe their chief ornament to these 
hardy Fuchsias. In some cases they are 
planted against the walls in sunny aspects, 
while other cultivators make hedges of them. 
Another plan is to plant them singly or m 
groups upon grass in fully exposed positions, 
and if within the influence of the sea they 
make splendid masses 6 ft. to 12 ft. high, and 
produce a mass of bloom from an early period 
of summer till cold weather puts a check to 
growth. Certain of them may also be used as 
herbaceous border plants in those parts of the 
country where they get cut to the ground in 
winter. Under such conditions they spring 
up from the rootstock and form bushes 2 ft. 
to 3 ft. high, and flower splendidly during 
the latter part of summer. 
Any good garden soil will meet their re¬ 
quirements, but heavy and wet soils should be 
avoided. A light- and friable soil—that is, a 
loose and well-drained one—will enable these 
hardy Fuchsias to pass through the winter 
safely and make fine growth in each succeed¬ 
ing year. In places where the soil is sandy or 
gravellv, with no great depth of good material 
on the top, it would be necessary to give a 
good watering occasionally if the best results 
are expected. 
When planted out, however, these Fuchsias 
stand a deal of drought, and may even be 
grown on the top of retaining walls, so that 
they can hang over the sides in situations that 
appear dry, but if the soil is of a fair average 
depth they make wonderful growth and flower 
profusely,' provided always the cultivator 
selects a sunny position in which to plant 
them. Fuchsias delight in light and air, and 
always look best when freely exposed in that 
respect. They should not, however, be 
planted in wind-swept situations, where the 
stems and leaves would frequently be lashed 
about during the prevalence of gales, or even 
strong breezes of wind; but, provided the 
situation is not what could be called wind¬ 
swept, these hardy Fuchsias will live and 
thrive. Readers may be reminded that in 
very cold localities the biggest, finest, and 
best-flowered plants are obtained bv planting 
against walls, where the stems will reach a 
much greater height and flower more profusely 
than when planted in the open ground. 
The long-stamened Fuchsia (Fuchsia macro- 
sterna) is one of the oldest and best known of 
the hardy Fuchsias, and is known under a 
variety of names, of which F. gracilis is the 
most common. It is a native of South 
America, and varies in height from 3 ft. to 
10 ft., according to treatment; but when 
planted in a fully exposed situation in the 
north it makes bushes about 2’ ft. to 3 ft. in 
height. The shoots, as a rule, get killed down 
with severe frost, but fresh stems spring up 
from the base in spring and flower freely 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
during summer. The plant is of slender 
twiggy growth, and has scarlet sepals with 
purple petals. It practically blooms from 
July to October. There is a variegated variety 
often grown as a greenhouse plant and is very 
effective with a broad creamy yellow margin. 
The hardiest of all the Fuchsias is F. riccar- 
toni, which was a seedling from F. globosa, 
and originated at Riccarton, near Edinburgh, 
about 1830. It was another proof of the old 
story that “a prophet is not without honour 
except in his own country.” It had been sent 
out for some considerable time before anybody 
fancied it, and it was only after it had made 
splendid growth in some far distant locality 
that its true merits were recognised. Its 
true value was discovered after it nad been 
planted and its hardiness proved, but it re¬ 
ceived the greatest amount of attention and 
notoriety after it had shown what it could do 
when planted on the western or southern sea¬ 
board of Great Britain. 
The leaves and flowers are produced in twos 
and threes at the joints of the current year’s 
shoots. The sepals are scarlet and the petals 
purple. In a warm sunny situation it com¬ 
mences flowering early in summer, and con¬ 
tinues until checked by frost. In the north of 
Scotland it will grow to a height of 10 ft. or 
more against a wall, but when planted in the 
open in an inland garden it seldom exceeds 
2 ft. or 3 ft. in height, and may or may not 
get cut down by frost, but always flowers 
beautifully, making an upright bush that re¬ 
quires no staking under such conditions. 
The parent of the previous plant, F. 
globosa, is a native of Mexico, and has rather 
short drooping flowers with purple-red sepals 
and purple-violet petals. The name appears 
to have been given on account of the globular 
or short and inflated character of the flowers, 
especially before expansion. This, together 
with F. macrostema, is reputed to be a parent 
of many of the fine florist’s varieties, but it 
would be difficult or impossible to follow the 
line of descent from this small form through 
the many intermediate generations to the 
existing forms. This species is scarcely so 
hardy as any of the previous ones, but near 
the seaboard it has proved very serviceable 
and hardy. 
F. corallina is a strong-growing hybrid 
Fuchsia which was derived from F. cordi- 
folia x globosa. The sepals are crimson and 
the petals pulm-purple, but do not offer any¬ 
thing very striking by comparison with the 
more tender florist’s varieties. The beauty 
of the plant, however, largely depends upon 
the crimson tints of the leaves and the dark 
red shoots of the current season. On the sea¬ 
board t—s varies from 10 ft. to 20 ft. in height, 
making a very handsome shrub or small tree, 
according to the method by which it is pruned. 
The neighbourhood of the sea seems to have a 
great influence upon Fuchsias, though it may 
be merely that the equable temperature which 
prevails there has the effect of prolonging the 
season of growth and the stems do not get 
cut back in winter. 
F. coccinea was introduced in the eighteenth 
century, but its native country is uncertain, 
although it was supposed to be Brazil. It 
seems to have existed in the Oxford Botanical 
Garden unnoticed until a more recent period, 
when the true plant of this name was dis¬ 
covered and figured in the “ Botanical Maga¬ 
zine,” t. 5740. It is a slender growing plant 
with scarlet sepals and violet petals. The 
leaves of the young shoots are downy and 
more or less brightly tinted with red during 
the summer months. It is therefore a beam 
tiful, though rather tender, species, and re^ 
quires to be grown in a sheltered position 
against a wall. 
June 3, 1905. 
Pars about People. 
The Duke of Westminster has decided 
close Eaton Park to the public unless a st 
is put to the looting of flowers. 
Mr. C. Frampton, of Dorchester, has t 
credit of having grown the largest Broccoli : 
the season. This measured 40 in. in circu. 
ference and weighed 8i lbs. 
Princess Alexander of Teck will open t. 
show of the Royal Botanic Society, which isi 
be held in the society’s beautiful garden 
Regent’s Park on June 7th, 8th, and 9th. 
The handsome Challenge Cup of the Far 
sham and District Chrysanthemum Assoc, 
tion has been won three times by F. G. Oliv 
Esq., of Mountfield, and he has declared 
intention of winning it again. 
Mr. C. S. Martin has been appointed i 
succeed Mr. C. D. Wise in the management ; 
the Toddington Orchard Company. He h 
previously held the position of sub-manag 
and was trained at Toddington. 
Mr. Thomas le Pelley, of Rusper Yineri 
Horsham, has been awarded a silver me 
for a collection of “ Black Hambro’ ” Graj 
shown at the last meeting of the Craw 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Associate 
Mr. James Watt, of The Gardens, IMyi 
hurst, Leigh, gave an admirable lecture 
“ Insects and Flowers ” before the memk 
of the Crawley and District Gardeners’ Muti 
Improvement Association at their last me 
ing. 
Mr. A. Thomson, chairman of the Craw 
and District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvem 
Association, has presented the association w 
a valuable collection of coloured plates 
flowering plants and of botanical specime 
for which lie has been heartily thanked. 
Mr. R. S. Seaborne, who has been appoinl 
gardener to P. Hoare, Esq., Lusconnbe Cas. 
Dawlish, was for some years plant and fit 
foreman in the garden of G. F. Moore, E . 
Chardwar, Burton-on-the-Water, Glouc.est : 
previously to that he was at Blenheim ;1 
Kew. 
Mr. Richard Dean, secretary of 1 
National Chrysanthemum Society, is to ■ 
the recipient of a testimonial, which it is s - 
gested should take the form of a purse f 
money. The secretary and treasurer to e 
fund is Mr. J. H. Witty, St. James’ Yn. 
Swain’s Lane, Highgate, London, N. 
Mrs. Gordon, wife of the Town Clerbf 
Aberdeen, is the daughter of the late Will ai 
Paul, F.L.S., of Waltham Cross, the fanis 
authority on Rose culture. Ella Mary Gor ii 
is to-day Scotland’s premier poet, ark is 
known as the “Queen’s Poetess.” Both *r 
husband and herself have the degree of LIP. 
The Earl of Minto some time since ff 
£1,000 towards laying out land left by ® 
late ex-Provost Landale for a public park r 
Lochgelley. The work of laying out the * 
park is now to be proceeded with, and w" 
completed will be a great acquisition to >e 
northern burgh. 
Mr. H. Turney, a gardener living at I 
hill, has earned local fame by his corres]''- 
dence with Mr. Marshall Hall, K.C., 5’- 
At a Conservative meeting at Reigate J® 
eminent King’s Counsellor is stated to l)’ e 
said that he would give three acres of 1 ^ 
and a cow if Mr. Turney would cultivate « 
land and milk the cow. Mr. Hall now U 
he did not make the offer, but the Rec ill 
gardener maintains that he did, and is 41 
trying to convince the M.P. that he is enti '■ 
to.the cow and three acres of land. 
