Bella Fuchsia The Gardener : The Gardener

Bella Fuchsia

What differentiates the ‘Bella Fuchsia®’ varieties from the hundreds of other fuchsia species and hybrids, one might ask?

The answer is simple. This series bred in the hothouses of the Hendriks family in the Netherlands, has a compact and bushy growth habit, starts blooming two weeks earlier than other fuchsias and the abundant and delicate flowers are not hidden away inside the plant, but flaunt their beauty shamelessly. They also keep on flowering well into autumn.

Locally we have access to a wide range of flower shapes from single to double bi-coloured flowers in bright pink, soft pink, lavender, red and purple, and it would be hard to fight the urge to own all these ‘dancing ballerinas’ with their feminine names like ‘Evita’ (pictured above), ‘Mariska’, ‘Soila’ and ‘Sascha’ to name just a few.

These fuchsias are the perfect solution to add some instant colour to your patio or balcony as they love to grow in pots and hanging baskets.

Bella Fuchsia Growing Tips

Fuchsias like cool summers and temperate winters. If the day has been a very hot one, mist the plants down gently with water as they like humidity.
They need shade or semi-shade – morning sun and afternoon shade is perfect. If kept into too deep shade they will become leggy.
Water the plants well and regularly in summer, but do it less in winter. The plants should however never be allowed to dry out completely.
Good drainage is extremely important to prevent root rot. Use quality potting soil in containers with proper drainage holes. It is also recommended that the soil medium in containers be amended with a water retention product. If planted in your shade garden prepare the soil well with ample loads of coarse compost to aid drainage.
Fertilise contained fuchsias every two weeks with a liquid fertiliser and those in the garden with a slow releasing granular fertiliser according to the frequency recommended on the package.
To keep the plants full and bushy and to encourage more blooms, regularly pinch out the stem’s growing tips. Also remove faded flowers and any seed pods developing.