Elegant Fuchsia

           
          Many gardeners love fuchsia, but sometimes store-bought plant is immediately getting ill after flowering (as in my case) because hot and dry home air does not suit them. Fuchsia is a well known houseplant, and all summer it blooms well in open air or on the balcony. In winter it has be stored in a cool, bright place or on the balcony.

When I've been to Munich Botanic Gardens I saw many pots with fuchsias growing in the Conservatory. Mostly they were shrubs with large simple, semi-double and double flowers on long stalks. These photos I've taken there show that flowers are a combination of two colors. 

 

 

The upturned edges of the flowers give special grace to them. Petals of flowers often have a different color than the calyx, are purple, red, pink and white.

I love fuchsia, but growing them here in North is difficult, they love warmth, although there are varieties that are hardy to little freezing. I admire the fuchsias in Helene's garden, they are wonderful! She grows and propagate cuttings from spring to autumn. 

 

I'd like to plant one or two fuchsias in garden pots and enjoy their blooming during summer in my garden. But I'm afraid I won't be able to store them in winter time.

Did you ever grow some fuchsias? Was your experience successful? What varieties of fuchsias do you have in your garden or home?
Thank you!

Keukenhof in Bloom

The garden Keukenhof (The Netherlands) is pretty big. Aside from numerous flower beds with tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and muscari I liked the blossoming trees and shrubs there. In April, the trees in our area are not yet in bloom. So blossoming trees in the park were great. Look at the blooming apple and plum trees:

The gardeners of Keukenhof show apple trees growing the "espalier" style, a very interesting way of growing. Some young apple trees and plum trees grow in my garden for 3 years, I will try to make  the "espalier" style, fasten their branches the same way on wires.

Several pavilions are in the park, the exhibitions of flowers and blossoming shrubs are held there. Please, look how bright these bouquets are:

 

In another pavilion the exhibition of lilac and viburnum was. Very beautiful shrubs, especially with double flowers. My lilacs are ordinary shrubs and I would like to have any of these varieties.

Then I went to see the Japanese garden. Before entering a large 'sakura' (Japanese cherry) was flowering. Great, I had not seen 'sakura' in blossoms before! In the Japanese garden beautiful magnolia and maple was growing near the stones.

I looked at the blooming magnolia and imagine how my little magnolia will be in bloom in a few years.
In the alley I saw flowering camellia and immediately recollected "A Lady with Camellia" by Alexandre Dumas. Also there were rhododendrons that have started to bloom. But not all rhododendrons yet, probably in May they will amaze visitors with their flowers.

Do you ever grow an apple tree  the "espalier" style? I need you advice! 

Do you have some double lilac or viburnum in your garden? Thank you!

Happy Easter and Good Friday! 
 

Colorful 'Rivers' of Flowers

       I just got back from Holland. My dream has come true: I've visited Keukenhof, the famous park of tulips. I read a lot about this amazing park that is only open from mid-March to mid-May, ie the time of tulip flowering. Certainly Keukenhof amazed me as other visitors.

Over 70,000 bulbs of tulips, daffodils, hyacintn, muscari were planted this year.
I was delighted with the beautiful combinations of flowers and rhododendrons, flowers and blooming trees. Tulips, daffodils, anemnony, hyacinth, muscari seemed the colorful rivers. Look at this great combination of pale pink tulips and blue anemone:

Or this combination of tulips they remind me multicolored stripes waving in the wind:

I saw a brook running into a lake. Near a brook a red leaved Japanese maple grew up surrounded by tulips. This picture was very calm:

Along the alley a flower bed of tulips and daffodils was planted. Look at this great variety of tulips:

Farther a bed with hyacinths was planted. The combination of light and dark purple hyacinths struck me. Light yellow-lemon hyacinths completed the picture. But there is little focus. Dutch gardeners put a piece of metal wire in the center of hyacinth that it could not be bent over!

I went to the pavilion and saw a vase with muscari. Amazingly beautiful variety of muscari! Near another pavilion tulips with fimbriate petals grew together with muscari:

But the 'river' of muscari and yellow and red tulips was an amazing spectacle:

Park designers show interesting ideas combining different bulbs. Yellow and white tulips, dark purple hyacinths, white daffodils, anemones and lupins grow together in mixborders:

More photos near the pond:

I have lots of impressions and will tell you in my next posts about rhododendrons, hydrangeas, lilacs, roses, orchids, Sakura in Keukenhof.

Did you love some of these combinations? Would you like to implement these ideas in your own garden? Thank you!

Here is my video of Keukenhof: