Hydrangeas & Fuschias & Hanging Baskets

I’ve overcome my aversion to hydrangeas – caused by their proliferation in the front garden at Mary’s Mount. I had some lovely flowers last year but I’m not optimistic about getting any this year – given the current state of the plants. But we will see. All of these photos were taken on 29 November 2020. I need to know when I should expect a repeat performance. These two are in the north garden bed close to the fence. The one on the left a cutting from my original plant and the one on the right is a cutting from Fran.

Fran gave me a bunch of her mop heads and I stuck them all over the garden to see which area best suits them. They all produced flowers. This one on the south side, near Patrick’s lemon tree.

It ultimately turned pink. As you can see here. Very pretty.

This was my longstanding one; brought over as a cutting from the Rowe Street house we rented while Bennett Street was being renovated. Under the oldest camellia. It had most flowers ever.

This pretty one, is another cutting from Fran and under the camellia near the fence. I’ll have to follow instructions carefully for when to prune and feed.

I don’t think I’ll get any flowers this year, given what the plants look like now. Here’s an example .

My fuschias have been terrific. I only have two varieties but have struck both very successfully. I call these ones my ballerina fuschias. I got the original plant at the Melbourne Flower Show years ago and now have it into about four hanging baskets. I move them around so that we can always see this fuschia from the back room. There has been at least one flowering for about six months I reckon. I love photographing and posting them on Instagram.

This other one I struck from my neighbour’s original. I love the vibrant colours and have made this into two standard fushias which I can also move around depending on its status.

Both are just finishing flowering now so I will prune them and put them back near the fence until next year.

These are my other hanging baskets – which have all been long flowering this year. Yellow enlivens our northern fence. Ive had this for ages but this is its best flowering year.

I’ve got four of these but these two have been the most successful – right outside the back door. You can see the thriving gardenias beneath them. They’ve been wonderful too.

Here’s a close up of the electric pink one.

I’ve had this basket for ages and the year before last it produced a beautiful blue waterfall. Which is starting again I think / hope.

This is an old bicycle basket that I have strung up on the fence down the back and trying to get this plant to hide its origins; suspect it never will. Plant is looking as lovely as its ever been.

Here are three pots against the north fence. The one on the right is a begonia now gone to sleep.

But I’m hopeful it will revive to its former glory; seen here.

I’ve these trailing green beads and chains of delicate grey leaves in a lot of hanging baskets all from the one plant. They’re a great filler in between flowering seasons – as you can see here.

I’m not very keen on petunias but was taken with the drama of this one and have it in two baskets.

I hope I get a second season out of it – which at the moment looks possible.

Here is the very last of my ballerina fuschias – photographed on 11 August 2021. Amazingly long flowering period. I’ve just pruned most of them. They all have lovely healthy new growth coming.