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Spring 2026
As I write this we are officially a little more than a month into meteorological Spring and after a vey wet winter and dull early spring we have been having some sunnier weather. The spring flowering shrubs and trees which had been delay for some weeks are now in full flower, and the outside hardy fuchsias are coming back to life.
On Saturday 28th March the societies AGM was held in Royal Sutton Coldfield in the Midlands, kindly hosted by the Sutton Coldfield Fuchsia Society and Gardening Guild and it was a very enjoyable day. Members bought a selection of fuchsia plants brought on the day and many members who attended to the chance to buy some.
From April, those of you who ordered members plants for collection from a nursery need to collect your plants. If you cannot remember which nursery you selected, please contact either John Nicholass or Carol Gubler. For those of you who paid to have them posted, they will be sent out on Monday 13th April by First Class post. This year they are being sent out in clamshell cases which should fit through most standard letterboxes. Don't forget to find the enclosed labels marked A, B C,...etc before removing the plugs from the cells (marked A, B , C... etc and potting up
This year there will be society displays at Harrogate Spring, Malvern Spring, Southport Flower Show, Harrogate Autumn Show and then the BFS Fuchsia Festival at the Malvern Autumn Show. There have been details in the Bulletins and Fuchsia News and there will be more in upcoming issues.
More details in the events diary.
I hope your plants are growing well and you have not lost too many over the winter. I have seen that some plants have struggled to break into new shoots this year as the wood was made much harder with the sun and heat last summer.
Compiled by Carol Gubler
(1) Lyndon
(2) Colin Dorrington
(3) Anne Reid
(4) London 2000
(5) Lillian Annetts
(6) Shatzie B
(7) Nell B
(8) Ginny B
(9) Mrs Diane Parrott
(10) Margaret Viscountess Thurso
Greenhouse
- Remove any old or yellowing leaves and treat any pests or disease as soon as seen. Aphids can be a difficult problem in the spring if they become established.
- Ventilate the greenhouse whenever possible! It is alway advisable to have some minimum ventilation. An electric fan will keep the greenhouse air moving.
- Take cuttings from suitable shoots.
- Pot up rooted cuttings and pot on plants as the roots part fill the pot. Ensure show plants are in their final post and quite pot bound at the penultimate stop.
- Turn plants through 90° every few days.
- Keep the glass clean to maximise light.
- Apply a thin coat of shading to the glass in April as the conditions warrant.
- Keep whips growing. When they have reached the desired height remove the growing tip leaving 3 to 5 sets of side shoots 3 for a small standard and 5 for a large. Stop the side shoots at 2 pairs of leaves for the bottom sets and one pair for the top set. Continue to stop at one to 2 pairs of stops to build up the shape of the head.
- Stop show plants at every one to two pairs of leaves building up the shape. Move them outside on suitable days to harden up the growth.
- Any plants for outside containers and decoration, don't stop them any more after late March or you will delay the flowering. Plant up any containers.
- Plants should be coming back to life in the warming greenhouse, encourage shoots to break by misting plants with warm water on sunny mornings.
- Be prepared to protect plants protected from frost by covering with fleece on frosty nights. Each layer gives 1-2 degrees C frost protection.
- Acclimatise any new brought in plants to your conditions. As they have probably been in a warmer environment, they may receive a check to their growth.
- Follow the other tips under heated greenhouse as the conditions allow.
- Get plants out of storage and remove any long white shoots. Stand plants outside on suitable days to encourage new growth.
- Garden hardy fuchsias should be cut back hard to the ground in March in the South and early April in the North