Speakers

Salli Dahl

Like so many of you, Salli became intrigued with fuchsias after seeing a 'blossom table' at a local garden show in Centralia, Washington. Retired as a Humanities teacher, she became interested in gardening, and the Northwest Fuchsia Society was encouraging the formation of a local society in Southwest Washington. Fuchsia Fanciers was formed, she served as Secretary, VP, President and committee chairs…and this led to some specific interests.

"Where did all these cultivars come from?" increased her interest in the Mexican, Central and South American, and Pacific Ocean species. She joined the Western Fuchsia Species Society and currently is its President. As Fuchsia Research International developed in Wales, she became its representative in the United States. Seeing how information on growing fuchsia species was difficult to find, in 2002 she collected information, took photos, and prepared Growing Fuchsia Species in the Pacific Northwest.

Winter hardy fuchsias, with their ease and suitability for the area, became another strong interest. She grows over 200 in her own yard, coordinates the Fuchsia Fanciers' test and display garden, and maintains the Northwest Fuchsia Society's Hardy List. Realizing how many gardeners and landscapers were unaware of the gardening possibilities, she prepared The Pacific Northwest's Best-Kept Landscaping Secret-The Hardy Fuchsia with over 50 colored photos.

These two booklets were sandwiched between a much deeper research that started 4 years ago after reading histories of the fuchsia in Europe. She began to wonder how, when and where fuchsias got to America, and she found very little information. From that research, a book with colored photos, Wildly Seeking Fuchsias, A History of the Fuchsia in America, is being prepared. Some fascinating stories will be shared with you at the convention--about American gardening in general and fuchsias in particular, as well as the exceptional people involved.

If you've been wondering, …

Where, when and how did the FIRST fuchsia appear in North America?

• on the West Coast with the Padres' missions or in a covered wagon with pioneers or by ship during and after settlement?
• or earlier, on the East Coast- colonial days, during or after the Revolution, during Western expansion?

Who brought them, raised them and why?

Where else and how were they grown- in the Midwest, Southwest, South, Canada?

… you are in for some surprises.

Jean Fenstermaker

“Gnome Man’s Land”, slide show of her gnome garden in Santa Rosa, CA featuring miniature roses and some fuchsias.

Jean, a Santa Rosa, CA. native, became interested in gardening some 28 years ago when she started a brand new project--that of a rock garden. She was inspired by her mother, Edith Lassen, who had always had a rock garden as far back as Jean could remember. Once Jean got started, her interest in that project never waned. Her mother shared many cuttings and slips from her own garden. Jean also added some other special features and it soon became a very unique garden, illustrating the clever use of combining rocks, miniature roses and gnomes to establish an assortment of mini-themes. Eric Lassen, Jean's dad, made numerous wooden objects in proper scale to further compliment the minuscule activity found within the garden's borders.

Early in 1999 Jean became a member of the Santa Rosa branch of the American Fuchsia Society, where she serves as vice president. Her experience of growing fuchsias was rather limited when she first joined. However, as shady areas developed within the ever-expanding garden areas, she also began to incorporate fuchsias and her knowledge about them has been increasing ever since.

Learn more about her large back yard gnome village, population of over 330 gnomes residing in seven gnome-dominated garden areas, plus other fitting wildlife statuary. Find out about the legends and interesting stories associated with gnomes, who work hard to bring luck, happiness and protection to homes and gardens, as well as a bit of whimsy and wonder. Confirmed by her love for photography, these colonies of gnomes come across as being almost life-like in this special fantasyland. It's a truly amazing piece of art that Jean created and maintains with the help of her very supportive husband, Jim.

Gnome Man's Land, as Jean calls the entire back yard, has been written up in newspapers, featured in USA and foreign garden journals, and filmed for a national television special on the Home and Garden TV network. See for yourself why garden clubs, numerous organizations, and especially the senior population, among others, so enjoy this one-of-a-kind slide show. Amazing facts and comical moments of a most unusual garden never fail to entertain and please the viewing audience.

Some picture from the Santa Rosa Branch's picnic at Jean's garden.

Paul Fisher

Fuchsias from Wales

Paul a member of The British Fuchsia Society for over 30 years will be giving a slide show of his fuchsias he has collected from Belgium & Holland. It all started 30 years ago in a village named Didcot starting with only a few different cultivars, nearly all common growing started propagating mainly for his own pleasure. Time went along neighbours and friends wanted his special plants. This inspired him to grow plants for showing becoming a member of Grove & District Fuchsia & Pelargonium Society he started to collect enormous amounts of First, Second & Third certificates. He was asked to join the committee as treasurer and supplier of plants to sell at the show. Gaining more experience of selling plants to the general public he decided to grow more fuchsias for selling at fetes and outdoor markets. The problem that arose was not having enough time to grow more and more fuchsias as he was working with a full time occupation. In 1991 a decision was made to start his own business in Oxfordshire naming it P & B Fuchsias. He erected a 42 foot by 48 foot poly tunnel and opened to the general public as a retail nursery supplying specialist fuchsias, patio plants, geraniums and bedding plants. The nursery really got going with the introduction of unusual fuchsias from Holland & Belgium which he collects every February. Fuchsia enthusiasts from all over the U.K. visit the nursery for the latest fuchsia from Europe. After eight years in Oxfordshire the business had expanded to the point where there was no more room for growing the amount of plants needed and he looked for an agricultural property, there was nothing locally and after some time a small holding in South Wales became available. With many trips of over 200 miles up and down the motorway the purchase was made. Moving to Wales in November 1999 was quite an upheaval as not only did he have a business to move but to create a complete new life. The nursery set in some fifteen acres of land with walks in woods and a lake to relax by although Wales is predominately wet it has a very mild climate ideal for growing fuchsias. The nursery has really been successful, and boast over 1200 different fuchsias stocked, the move was the right one as not realising where he was going live was to be one of the most beautiful parts of Wales and it is named 'Gower'. This will be part of the introduction to his fuchsias a tour of 'Gower.

Hybridizing

Mary Cooke

Mary Cooke lives in Redwood City, CA and belongs to the Santa Clara Valley Branch of the AFS. She is an avid gardener who has been raising fuchsias for over 25 years. She has been an AFS judge for 2-3 years, but has also won blue ribbons for Class and as a Novice at the San Jose Branch’s Show with her bonsai of Katrinka. Mary is known for her mixed plantings in various containers, but especially small and miniature varieties in wicker baskets. But Mary’s number one interest is in hybridizing.

Mary has been hybridizing for about three years. She tries crossing plants that will produce new varieties that are heat and cold tolerant, with pretty blooms, and are also mite resistant. There’s an excitement to hybridizing that is like a treasure hunt. You never know what you're going to end up with, but it’s yours and just yours in the end. She finds that hybridizing keeps her mind active and her manual dexterity strong.

Mary often uses Campo Victor as the seed parent with different varieties for the pollen parent. She has used Other Fellow which is her favorite fuchsia to grow, as well as Devonshire Dumpling for its hardiness, long blooming cycle, and the seeds are easy to germinate. Her favorite pollen plant is Baby Pink as it has many excellent qualities – lots of pretty blooms and it's resistant to bees and mite.

Mary considers hybridizing “La joie de Vie” (The Joy of Life) as it's just so darn much fun waiting to see what happens.

Jim Lewark

For personal reasons, Jim has had to cancel his participation in the Convention in a speaker's role but Mary will continue to present the program on Hybridizing.

Jim Lewark resides in Menlo Park and is a member of the Santa Clara Valley Branch of the AFS. Jim has been growing fuchsias for about 15 years and has received numerous awards for his plants, including Best of Show in San Jose for a standard of Fulgens. His entire gardening experience began with a Preston Guild and that has led to a specialty in standards. He tends to grow very tall plants in small pots – as high as 8 - 10 feet tall.

Jim likes to grow singles such as Shelford, but has found that he drawn to the new dark purple (almost black) varieties that are coming out of Europe. He noticed that European plants tended to have multiple blossoms per leaf, but often the U.S. varieties did not. He discovered hybridizing about 8 years ago and decided to see if he could cross the European and American plants in order to get the best of both worlds in a fuchsia. The British fuchsias make good pollen plants and he found that one seedpod would produce many different plants.

Jim’s early hybridizations have been crosses of Lady Isabel Barnett with varieties such as La Campenella, Preston Guild, and Nancy Lou. He has produced some lovely plants which he has named Tommy Louise after his mother, Gretchen for his wife, Kathryn’s mother, and Lori ‘n Suds in honor of a friends marriage. He continues to hybridize to produce particular blossom characteristics or colors.

Jim loves the element of discovery. Hybridizing is just plain fun and he finds it amazing what shows up when just two plants are crossed.

Fuchsia Lore seminar conducted by the Northwest Fuchsia Lore Collectors Club.

Fuchsia Friends for 75 Years and Forever

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