Hi Vera, sounds like a good plan! I like shade gardens, and it amazes me the number of plants that will do well...I used to think there was not many plants for shade- LOL I love hostas - they are so pretty- about a million different shades of green/blue/yellow- I have some BIG ones, and 2 of the 'bitty ones' they are so cute! I also love garden balsam and coleus in the shade- I have had good luck with rudbeckias blooming in lots of shade- at the corner of my porch, I have Indian Summer and the r. trioba - they only get the hot afternoon sun, but have done really well! I have also moved some plants this month- sometimes they wilt a bit, but then come on back- have fun at the rally! Linda

That is not grandis. It looks like it has some listada in it which has been the parent of a lot of hybrids. 'Magdalene Madsen' is one of the more popular hybrids.

My Gartenmeister is in its third summer of re-bloom. I bought in summer of 2002. It is in a large black "nursery pot" which is inside a thick wooden pot that I think started life as an ice bucket pot. The wood is thick. I cut it back to about 4 to 6 inches, and shelter it on my deck close to the house. Winters in my Oregon coastal city are fairly mild, but the February winds are terrible. Then my potted fuchsias get more shelter, even taking them into the garage for a week or two. In April I evaluate and cut back again on all my fuchsias, to where I see nice green growth. Then I start the fertilizer process. Every week. I use a 20 20 20 formula until July, then go to a Blossom Boost formula every 2 weeks. A good one for shady in - ground - growth is Swingtime. This year she's 3 ft high and as wide. A nice companion for hanging basket fuchsias is Vinca Major. Comes back every year and makes nice large blue flowers while the fuchsias are in their "stick" stage. And a pretty vine to complement either upright or hanging fuchsias.

Hey, just another thing I've learned along the way. If it gets any sun at all, (which I've learned the hard way that they have to if you want any blooms)...then try putting a big golf type umbrella over them to provide constant shade. This has really worked for me in the past. Might look a little strange but will be worth it. I also learned these umbrellas were a huge help when we pressure wash the house in the Spring. I just cover all my roses, shrubs, and anything else up with these umbrellas. It worked GREAT!!