Hardy Fuchsia vs Hardy Geranium: The ultimate duel

In pink is the hardy Fuchsia, with its cascading, ballerina-like flowers and long blooming time. And in blue is the hardy Geranium, with its attractive, veined petals and floriferousness! But who will win? Let’s find out…

 

 

Blooming time 🥊

We all want our favourite plants to flower for as long as possible so that we get the most out of our money, enjoy beautiful colour for longer, and have less work to do on our hands and knees! Sadly, all flowers have to die some time – but some last much longer than others!

Hardy Fuchsias often bloom from late spring until the first frosts, providing you with not just early summer colour, but colour that lasts and lasts through summer and well beyond.

Hardy Geraniums, while blooming from late spring throughout summer, start to die off in autumn, but many will go on..

Hardy Fuchsias, 1 – Hardy Geraniums, 1 (it’s a tie!)

 

 

Variety and choice 🥊

There are thousands of cultivars of Fuchsia and 110 wild species, this being one of the reasons why it is such a beloved plant in the UK. Hardy varieties are aplenty, from slender, white dancers to big, blousy queens dressed in vibrant purple and pink! 

However, you have a fair share of choice with Hardy Geraniums too! There are around 70 species and 700 varieties of hardy Geraniums, which means plenty to choose from whatever your garden type. 

Hardy Fuchsias, 1 – Hardy Geraniums, 1

 

 

Care of plants 🥊

Lazy or forgetful gardeners will pair well with either hardy Fuchsias or Geraniums. Both plants suit sunny or partial shade, require little watering unless conditions are very dry, and will tolerate most soil types. They will need a spring prune though. Geraniums are a little more carefree..

Both plants also benefit from an organic mulch on an annual basis to help improve the soil and decrease water stress.

Hardy Fuchsias, 1 – Hardy Geraniums, 1

 

 

Versatility 🥊

Hardy Fuchsias are hugely versatile plants. Compact and bushy, they thrive in borders and beds for an informal cottage garden style, in window boxes, hanging baskets and in containers. Even better, in milder parts of the nation, hardy Fuchsias can even be grown as a hedge!

Hardy Geraniums work well as ground cover and in a variety of containers, but unfortunately with an average height of around 50cm, they’re unlikely to be hedgeworthy!

Hardy Fuchsias, 1 – Hardy Geraniums, 0

Hardy Fuchsia takes home the gold (but only just – 4-3!) 🥇 

With both plants performing very well under pressure, it was a tough call to make, but the Hardy Fuchsia gets the gold on this occasion! It scored extremely well in all categories, making it a perfect all round plant for your garden this year!

I’ve even got a stunning package to share with you, if this has convinced you to become a Hardy Fuchsia fanatic…

Plants2Gardens 6 x 2 Litre Pot Hardy Fuchsia Collection

Get your hands on a six-piece hardy Fuchsia collection, which offers an array of award-winning plants that will produce beautifully showy pink, red, white and purple blooms each summer, plus come garden-ready so you can enjoy their beauty as soon as they arrive. 

 

 

Place these fabulous Fuchsia plants in pots, containers and borders to add elegant colour and contrast to your summer garden this year and for many summers to come. Each spring, these Fuchsia plants will regrow from a tough woody-stemmed base. The individual varieties have their own characteristics, but you can be assured of plenty of attractive leaves and iconic pendulous flowers all summer long until they are nipped by the early winter frosts.

 

 

Delivered in April, each of the Fuchsia plants in this collection have been grown on into two-litre pots so are ready to create an instant, dramatic display in your garden borders or containers. 

 

The varieties:

Fuchsia Beacon with pink and red non-scented flowers

Fuchsia Snowcap with red and white non-scented flowers

Fuchsia Mrs Popple with pink and purple non-scented flowers

Fuchsia Tom Thumb with red and purple non-scented flowers

Fuchsia Paula Jane with pale and dark pink non-scented flowers

Fuchsia Tom West with purple and red non-scented flowers with variegated foliage

This pack is at QVC now. 

Which do you prefer out of hardy Fuchsias and Geraniums, and why? Let me know in the comments section!