Fuchsia - who knew?

 Who knew I could fall in love with a plant that I have always known, but apparently never really considered?

Over the past week, I stopped at different garden centers to pick up a few plants each night after work.  This strategy was a new approach.  Usually, we go to town on a weekend and purchase a whole truck full of plants, drive home and then plant for hours on end.  Our old mode of operation usually meant we ended up with rash buying decisions, too many of one thing and not enough of another, and sunburns.

We thought that by buying a few plants each night, we might better plan for what we needed, save some money by buying just what we needed, and be a little more sane when it was all said and done.

The first night I stopped, I fell in love with these lovely plants with pink blossoms.  The few that had actually bloomed revealed this awesome purple center.  I thought this - when put with a spike for some height and some bright yellow zinnas for some contrast - would be beautiful in the large planters near our front door.

 The fuchsia will drape really nicely over the side of the pot.  And, I just can't get enough of these show stopping blooms.

I am still blown away that I have known about fuchsia for years, but never really paid attention.

Once everything begins to settle in and really take off, I think this might be a new favorite combination of plants.