I've ruined my Constance!

fuchsia Constance

Last year, round about this time, I began training a standard fuchsia.

<--------- This is what a standard looks like.

The variety I choose was Constance, gorgeous with her pale pink sepals, purple corolla and mid-green foliage. She was a baby when I potted her up thinking what a perfect standard she'd make with her nice straight stem. During the following months I carefully and lovingly pinched out each axillary bud as they appeared, to prevent side shoots from growing.

<---------- some botany.

Constance was very obliging, growing quickly and forming a pleasing shape. She even produced many fine flowers that first season. Round about November she went into the greenhouse for the Winter, safe in her container and stem tied loosely to a stake for support. Just this week I noticed that she had the beginnings of a whitefly infestation so I brought her outside for some fresh air. Whitefly is caused by warm temperatures so she needed to be outside, despite me opening the greenhouse windows fully each day. We've had very high winds in the U.K. over the past couple of days and the wind had blown poor Constance back and forth, loosening the soil round her stem. Hubby carried the heavy container to the patio for me, where she would be more protected and I set about firming the soil round the stem. Alas, I wasn't as gentle as I should have been and snapped it! Hearing my cry of dismay, hubby looked round and all he had to say was, "I'm bl**dy glad I didn't do that."

From the remains of Constance, I took about thirty cuttings. Oh well, here goes again......