Save money by planting

your own Fuchsia Baskets!

Big hanging baskets of fuchsia are a great choice for summer-long color, and a wonderful accent for your porch or patio. Today, we'll tell you how to make your own fuchsia baskets... an easy gardening project and a real money-saver over buying fuchsia baskets next month.

Plant fuchsia starts now. For the next 2-3 weeks, your Fred Meyer Garden Center will have its best selection of fuchsia starts. You'll find a couple dozen varieties to choose from, so have fun and experiment with different combinations. Try some upright fuchsias in deck pots,  or you can even try training a fuchsia tree.

For a 10-12" planter, you'll want to use about 4 starts. That will result in a nice full planter with lots of blooms. And don't pinch back fuchsia starter plants -- it just takes longer for them to bloom when they could be producing by May.

Be sure to use fresh potting soil. To enjoy the best results and healthiest plants, you want a top quality, well draining mix formulated for container growing.

Give your fuchsias plenty of sunlight now. That will encourage a strong start. But remember to bring them indoors at night until all danger of frost is over. And as the weather grows warmer, fuchsias prefer partial shade.

So plant some fuchsia baskets this weekend. You'll be well rewarded for your efforts all summer long.

While much of the information in these tips is applicable in several gardening zones/climates, some of the plants and timing suggested are best suited to the Northwest, generally in the mild/wet growing regions found along the I-5 corridor. You should make appropriate adjustments or consult local gardening experts in regions whose climates differ from this area of the Northwest.