Variation On a Theme: Shade Sparkler

1 Gartenmeister Fushcia
2 Non-stop Fire Begonias
1 Lysimachia
4 Lobelia Regatta Rose

What's with the shade combos? I know! And I don't even have that much shade at all. For whatever reason, my shade containers have turned out well this year. I first talked about this combo here. My mother put this together at my suggestion and I loved the way it turned out. And I have talked about my love affair with the Gartenmeister fuchsia here and here so it only seemed reasonable to me that I should have it. I don't know why I haven't except that I wasn't taking my own advice and was trying other plants that didn't work out nearly so well. 

At any rate, my friend picked my up these giant purple pots because she knows I love purple and they were on sale. Who doesn't love a friend like that? I do! I decided to put the containers on my deck to contrast with all the lime green I have going on out there and to fill in some otherwise empty corners. Sometimes, brightly colored containers can prove hard to work with because they can detract from the plants or clash so choosing what to put in them has another element to consider. I had already decided that I wanted the Gartenmeister which is an orangy-pink, dark green burgundy affair that is already difficult to combine with other plants. I love a challenge!

Rather than reinventing the wheel, I decided to do a variation on the Shade Sparkler combo. Because the container was such a brilliant color I decided I couldn't do pink although I really love the pink begonias. Instead I chose Fire Non-stop Begonias which are a gorgeous combination of yellow and pinky-orange. What better to go with the orangy-pink blooms of the fuchsia? Next came the lysimachia with it's yellow green foliage to balance out all that color and tie in with my lime-green theme on the deck. The pots are quite large and my flower expenditures routinely exceed my budget (even with my work discount!) so I filled in the container with a 4 pack of rose lobelia. 


I have to say, I love, love, LOVE this color combination. It may have something to do with these being some of my absolute favorite plants and getting to use them all together in a way that works. Who wouldn't love that? I especially like how the color of the lobelia actually matches the color of the pot. It ties the container together rather than working against the bold color. 


This combo really does pack a punch in the shade both with color and texture. The purple container adds to the whimsy of this unusual color combination.

Container Gardening Plants: Upright Fuchsias

I don't think there has been any plant more exciting to me in the past few years than the varieties of upright fuchsias we now carry at the greenhouse where I work (Levi Runions Garden Center, check it out!).

Many, many moons ago when I was just a wee baby gardener and didn't have a clue about much in the way of plants, I fell in love with fuchsias. Loved the blooms, loved the color and loved that they are a shade plant. So I bought some. And planted them in the ground because that's where I wanted them to be.

A friend, who was an actual gardener, came over and said, "Um, those go in hanging baskets."

I wondered why those beautiful blooms were hanging in the mud.

So for many years, I gave up on fuchsias all together. I didn't do and still don't do much in the way of hanging baskets. I want my flowers down here where I can see them. I do, however, go crazy on container gardens. Lots and lots of container gardens. Upright fuchsias are perfect for containers.

Strangely enough, my favorite fuchsia is the 'Gartenmeister' fuchsia. It doesn't have the traditional fuchsia bloom but it does have amazing blooms the color of which I've never seen before. It's an electric pink-orange color that contrasts beautifully with the plant's green and burgundy foliage. This plant provides big impact whether it's blooming or not, although once it starts blooming, it doesn't stop. While this plant can be difficult to pair with other plants, it can be done as shown here. On it's own, however, this plant is stunning as well.

Another favorite is 'Winston Churchill'. This plant has the more traditional fuchsia blooms with dynamic dark pink and purple bi-color flowers. Gorgeous. I planned on planting this last summer but grabbed the wrong plant instead. Oops! I will try again this year and plan on combining it with trailing coleus and lobelia.

Other varieties include 'Paula Jane' which has pink and dark rose blooms and 'Santa Claus' or 'Jingle Bells' which both have red and white flowers. All of these varieties are perfect for shade gardens or containers and can be planted alone or in combos. Companion plants include impatiens, begonias, coleus and lobelia.

If you love trailing fuchsias, try adding some of these upright beauties in your shade garden or containers as well. If, like me, you thought fuchsias weren't for you, it's time to give these stunners another look. Chances are you won't be disappointed!

Container Garden Idea: Shade Sparkler

Shade Sparkler
(click image to get the full effect of this dynamic combo)
shade/part sun
1 'Gartenmeister' fuchsia
2 Non-Stop begonia Pink'
4 sapphire lobelia

Orange and pink! Together! This color combination isn't for everyone but for those who love a pop of color in the shade, this is your combo.

This combo features one of my very favorite shade plants, the Gartenmeister fuchsia. This is an upright fuchsia with unusual electric orange-pink blooms. Dynamic! In addition, the foliage is dark green and burgundy which adds even more drama to this focal point. This is also one of the shade plants the will actually create some height in shade containers.

Pink may seems like an unusual choice to put with this and it is, yet after much wandering around the greenhouse, this is the color combo that really caught my eye. Since the fuchsia is neither truly pink nor orange, I really could have gone either way. For those preferring a less dynamic punch of color, choose orange Non-Stop begonias. There will still be a color galore! When it comes to begonia, Non-Stop pink (and orange and all the other colors, too) really are non-stop bloomers. These plants work wonderfully around the base of the fuchsia by filling in the soil line and adding color and full texture next to the finer, yet similar, texture of the fuchsia.

With such bright colors, I always think blues work great to balance out the containers. Here, I used a 4 pack of sapphire lobelia. This picture was taken in October (I know! October! In Minnesota!) so the lobelia is a little played out, yet you can still see how fantastic the color and texture of the lobelia work with the coarse texture of the fuchsia and begonia.

For those looking for even more color, the lobelia could be replaced by Golden Moon or Yellow Moon torenia or yellow trailing foliage plant such as lysimachia.

Whatever color combo you choose, Gartenmeister fuchsia is sure to become one of your favorite container plants for the shade. Use this colorful combination in shady areas of your garden that need a shot of color.