Fuchsia Margaret Thatcher

All summer and part of autumn, the Fuchsia 'Margaret Thatcher' offers numerous trailing flowers in soft colours, both white-pink and violet. Bushy and upright, it easily fits into a flower bed or a border but will look prettier in a pot due to its trailing habit. Avoid direct sunlight for the gentleness of light shade. Hardy, it can be planted in the ground in cool and well-drained soil.

From the Onagraceae family, fuchsias are native to South America, the Caribbean, and Australia. They were discovered in Santo Domingo in the 17th century and owe their name to a German botanist, Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566).  Today, there are numerous hybrid fuchsias, mainly derived from Fuchsia magellanica and Fuchsia fulgens, sometimes with the contribution of Fuchsia triphylla, which adds length to the flowers. The 'Margaret Thatcher' variety is an English creation by Gadsby in 1978. It results from cross-breeding the 'Christine Clements' variety with 'Forward Look'. Its bicolour flowers distinguish it: the tube and sepals are white-pink, and the corolla is blue-violet. They bloom from June to October, or even November, on dark green foliage and an upright bush.

Hardy, the Fuchsia 'Margaret Thatcher' can be grown in the ground, in a flower bed or on a border. However, winter protection for the stump (mulching and winter cover) should be provided to give it the best chance. It can also be grown in a pot on a terrace. It will blend perfectly in a flower bed in a slightly shaded area alongside the Hydrangea macrophylla 'Sabrina' with delicate white-pink flowers, the Hosta 'Almost' with light green foliage almost golden, and the imposing Rodgersia aesculifolia, whose foliage resembles that of a chestnut tree. Due to its long flowering period that lasts until the first frost, pair it with perennials that bloom in autumn, such as the Japanese hybrid Anemone 'Frilly Knickers' with double white flowers and the Sedum 'Autumn Joy' with pink flowers for a gentle autumn flower bed.