I've never encountered Annette's planting instructions with hardy fuchsias before, but then I am in a warmer zone than you and hardy fuchsias thrive here with minimal effort. I would say that generally the recommendation is to avoid planting things with a framework of woody stems (shrubs and subshrubs, like hardy fuchsias) below grade, as that often promotes stem rots. I would definitely mulch well for their first season or two until you are assured how hardy they really are - there is a wide range of hardiness attributes with hardy fuchsias :-) And do avoid pruning or cutting back too early. They are quite late in the season to leaf out and may appear as a collection of dead sticks longer than you think reasonable but be patient. They make up for their late appearance by blooming throughout the season and well into fall, at least in my area. I've had hardy fuchsias in bloom at Thanksgiving. I would also agree that they can be paired with pretty much anything and do not require the same shady conditions more tender fuchsias demand. Many of mine grow in full sun while others are in part shade. The yellow foliaged form of magellanica ('Aurea' or 'Genii') is particularly striking in a shadier area and pairs well with gold variegated hostas. They are also quite drought tolerant when established.

Hi Sorry to hear of your problems, it seems that you have covered most of the things that could have gone wrong yourself, but I have a few suggestions for you; Feeding any plant that is 'sickly' is not recommended, you need to identify the problem first. You say that one stem wilted, this needs cutting back to soil level if you haven't already done so. Knock the plant out of its container and check on the root ball, primarily you are checking to see if there are any new white roots being formed, if there are then at least you know the plant is coming back to life. While the plant is out of the container check the condition of the soil, it may be too wet or too dry, both these conditions can have a devestating effect on plants. If you find that there are old brown roots you need to remove these and repot, if there is very little root left then you must assume that something is eating the roots and you need to delve into the soil and roots to see what the problem is. With regards to the 'sappy problem' I would be inclined to 'dunk' the plant in a bucket of hand hot water (make sure that the water is not too hot though) and count to ten slowly while the plant is submerged. This usually cleans up any pests that may be there, including red spider mites and is wholly environmentally friendly. Make sure that you only Âdunk the plant to the soil level and not the whole pot. I would also be tempted AFTER this treatment to take cuttings from any available material and then trim the rest of the growth back by at least half. Let us know how you get on and what you find when you knock the plant out of the container TightÂ..

I had a robin nest in our chokecherry tree in the middle of our yard and between two sets of feeders. The robin was fine with the coming and going of finches, blackbirds, quail, sparrows, etc., in my yard. The pair fledged 3 young robins successfully. BN

there is no issue here ... just do it ... i am glad you thought about it as a variable.. now dismiss it ... no transplant is going to out compete some huge old tree for anything ... some peeps say a tree can have a root mass.. twice as big.. as the tree you see above ... and when you think of it that way.. your piddly little transplant will not effect the monster in any way .... your only problem.. is insuring that the TRANSPLANT .. any transplant ... of any kind ... gets enough water until it is established ... see link for planting guide .. NEVER fert the transplant... or the monster will grow roots into the transplant.. and MIGHT choke it out ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link