Choose a large planter with holes in the base for Fuchsia 'Bella Rosella'. Cover the bottom with a layer of gravel or hydro pellets for adequate drainage. Use fresh potting compost or special fuchsia compost to ensure abundant flowering. Add some compost to the pot and plant the fuchsia at the correct depth. Fill with compost, press firmly in and water immediately after planting. This plant will thrive in sun and (part) shade.

Fuchsia 'Bella Rosella' will just glow in planters

The gigantic double flowers of Fuchsia 'Bella Rosella' are at their best when grown in a well-filled planter or window-box. These double flowers are on average 12 cm across! This particular, semii-hanging variety combines well with other fuchsias, Impatiens (Busy Lizzie), and leafy plants such as ivy. Use a plastic pot inside a larger planter so the soil will not dry too quickly.

Fuchsias require a lot of water in the summer. Always keep the compost fairly moist but do not allow the roots to become water-logged. Protect the plants from very bright sun. For abundant flowering, we recommend adding plant food on a regular basis when watering. Regularly remove the dead flowers plus the seed ball and this will encourage your fuchsia to flower all summer long.

Keeping fuchsias over the winter

Fuchsia 'Bella Rosella' cannot tolerate frost but they can be kept safe over the winter. Transfer your fuchsia 'Bella Rosella' to a frost-free place before the first frost and keep at a minimum of 5-10° C - an unheated greenhouse, shed or garage. Light is unnecessary as the leaves will drop off anyway. Prune back to half branch size and remove all leaves. Make sure the compost is not too dry during the winter.

Fuchsias can also be overwintered by digging them in. Dig a 60 cm deep trench and layer with mulch. Place the pots in the pit and lightly cover with peat compost. Cover the pit with plastic sheeting to keep the worst of the wet out. In April pot up to slightly larger pots using fresh potting compost. Stand in the warmth and water regularly. From mid-May it will be time for your fuchsia ‘Bella Rosella’ to go outdoors again.

The fuchsia is one of the most popular plants for on the patio or decking. It is one of the few abundantly flowering plants that will also flower in semi-shade. This plant is native to damp mountainous rainforests around the equator and is named after the famous botanist Leonhart Fuchs. The large-flowered fuchsia that we are familiar with is one of several varieties. There are over 8,000 types of fuchsias, single-flowered, semi-double or double-flowered. Fuchsia sepals are always brightly coloured, usually contrasting with the flower petals.