Among the most spectacular summer flowers, Fuchsia are outstanding garden plants with their continuous display of ravishing, dancing blossoms dangling in clusters like prize jewels. Often blooming from late spring until the first frost, they are available in a wide range of colors, from luscious pinks and purples to whites and even peach. Attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds, Fuchsias require little care, and their various growing habits, from trailing and cascading to upright and bushy, make them the champions of hanging baskets, window boxes, and containers. They are also wonderful in summer-bedding schemes, as flowering hedges, in permanent plantings, or as standards.

There are thousands of cultivars and about 110 species to choose from.

• The flower form varies greatly between slender singles (4 petals), semi-doubles (5-7 petals), and fully-skirted doubles (8 or more petals). The top petals (actually sepals) protect the inner petals (corolla) from damage. Once the sepals open, the true petals are revealed. Their up-swept petals and long stems add movement and grace, whether grown in a pot or a border. The blossoms usually display two different-color sets of petals, creating wonderful color combinations.