Rockets made with gunpowder are not the only fireworks on
display as we head into the Fourth of July weekend.
Rockets made with gunpowder are not the only fireworks on display as we head into the Fourth of July weekend. As I walk around town, I see bursts of bloom everywhere. Showers of flowers cascade down walkways and explosions of color fill flowerbeds. Various shades of roses riot over my neighbors’ fence into my own yard, spreading flaming petals of orange, pink and white, which mix with my own red, yellow and purple blossoms.
On my patio, the nutmeg-scented geranium is growing like crazy, and the sunset orange-colored pansy’s sweet scent blends with the fragrance of sage and rosemary. These longer-lasting celebrations of summer will fill the air with fragrance all season.
Last Saturday, more fuchsias were added to the flora of Gilroy, as flower-loving Gilroyans hopped on Highway 85 to travel just a few miles north to enjoy the amazing fuchsia show on Saratoga Avenue.
The show featured every kind of fuchsia plant, from landscaping to bonsai, from topiary teddy bear-shaped ones to tiny ones used to decorate napkin rings, floating in little water wells on top of the rings. It turns out that if you want to decorate your table with fuchsias, you can keep the flowers fresh much longer by turning the flower upside down in water. You can see the entire flower better from that angle anyway.
Dozens of champagne glasses with water-filled stems were used to display the various colors and types of fuchsia flowers, upside down. The ”First Love” fuchsia features pink petals on the outside (the sepals), with lavender blossoms (called corollas) on the inside. The ”Clair De Lune” has white outside sepals with red corollas, while the miniature ”Boliviana” has green stems that look just like tiny celery stalks with fiery-red flowers mounted on the tips.
More than 100 different fuchsias were selling briskly at the show. I have always loved the way fuchsias attract so many hummingbirds, but I doubted that fuchsias could grow well in the heat of Gilroy.
The experts at Saturday’s show told me to plant my new fuchsia on the north side of my house in a shady area. All-day, high filtered sun from tall trees, lath structures, or shade cloth is ideal. There are some fuchsias that grow huge double blooms, but the American Fuchsia Society tells me that single blooms do better in Gilroy, with the reds and oranges being hardier in hot weather than the pinks, whites, and lavenders.
One of the most incandescent fuchsias on display was the ”Dancing Flame,” which looks almost as if someone has hand-painted its petals. It develops deep peachy, almost salmon-colored sepals on the outside, with the color draining down into a lighter peachy orange shade on the inside.
For those interested in learning more, the San Jose Branch of the American Fuchsia Society is a very active group that meets for fuchsia fun every month in the social hall at St. Edwards Episcopal Church at 15040 Union Ave. and Hwy. 85, promptly at 7:30 p.m., every third Monday of the month except December.
The club has been meeting since 1954 and holds a monthly plant raffle, an annual judged show and sale (with prizes), participates in garden tours, visits other branches’ activities, and attends bi-annual fuchsia conventions. The club is characterized by its friendly spirit and helpful attitude, and new members are encouraged to experience the joys of growing fuchsias.
For those who would like to purchase or view a wide variety of fuchsias, visit Antonelli’s (831-475-5222) on Capitola Road in Capitola. Call Dean at
408-264-3521 with Fuchsia Society membership questions
