There are now less than four weeks to go to the Ashfield Show, the first show of the season, and we are allowing the standard fuchsias to come into flower. Any flowers that open between now and the two week deadline to the show will be removed. After the two week deadline, all flowers will be left on the plants. We made the last stop on these plants ten weeks before the show-date. Using this method we are usually able to get the plants into full flower for the day of the show. If you examine the first picture  of two plants of Herald and two of Star Of Pink on the left, you will see the small flower buds are forming nicely.

This shot is of two plants of Waveney Sunrise, a favourite of mine. They haven't done so well this year, I put it down to the fact that we have been having some extremely hot weather this summer, and I don't think they like it too hot. To refresh them I have been putting the fine spray on the hose and showering them twice a day, once in the morning and another late evening, this has helped keep them going. Notice that to help them survive the hot conditions they have been placed against a shady wall.

More plants of Waveney Sunrise, once again these are placed against a shady wall. These will be held back for the Moorgreen Show on the 24th and 25th August. As I explained above, we hold them back by removing any flowers that open before the two week deadline to the show.

These three plants of Herald are being grown for the any size pot class at the Ashfield Show. They are coming into flower at exactly the right time and should be just right by the 9th of August, the day of the show. I'd just like to emphasise the fact that if you are growing fuchsias in this very hot weather, you must spray them morning and night, fuchsias hate dry heat, but can cope with it if you spray them regularly.