Sneaking a newly purchased fuchsia basket from the car, around the house and onto a back patio is trickier than you'd imagine.

Not that most people even think about such things. Still, there are times when I don't want to advertise the fact that yet another hanging basket somehow teleported itself into my car during a casual visit to a favorite nursery.

My best efforts at stealth are compromised by the unavoidable trail of plump ballerina-like blooms that litter the ground as I carry each basket into the garden.

The trail of evidence starts inside the car. Not only are the seats covered with spent pods, but flowers and foliage - some unavoidably snapped off during transport - also litter the van floor.

Teenage boys come outside to investigate as I pull into the driveway, ever hopeful that grocery bags filled with chips, ice-cream and juice await. Instead, they find already-withering dregs of floral contraband.

"Mom."

Just the one word, but it's dripping with an entire dictionary of meaning. I don't even need to look to know that a knowing glance is eyeing some of the (many) fuchsia baskets already hanging in various locations around our house.

What can I say? I love this plant species and happily admit to owning dozens of hardy perennial types as well as seasonal tender ones.

And I'm certainly not alone. Fuchsias are among the most widely cultivated plants in the world. They're gorgeous, relatively pest- and disease-free, and even tender cultivars can be carried over from one year to the next with a bit of care. More than 7,000 fuchsia varieties are now available in almost every color and form. Fuchsias can be grown as specimen plants, massed in a border or even planted as a hedge.

Success with fuchsias is easy if you follow a few simple rules: Plant in rich, well-drained soil. Water regularly. Provide morning sunlight and dappled afternoon shade.

These South American natives may look exotic, but they're actually no different in structure to any other flower. The visual difference comes with the four sepals, which in bud stage lay flat against the seed case. But after the flower opens, the sepals part and curl upward, exposing the stamens and stigma.

The best and healthiest fuchsias all have similar traits:An even, symmetrical shape.

* Vivid green foliage and sturdy stems.

* Strong growth, with many green shoots coming out from the lowest part of the main stem.

* No signs of aphids, white fly or rust (little orange dots on the back of the leaves).

* Fits inside a container that is proportional to its size. This is especially important with hanging basket types, which should be roughly thirty-five percent pot and sixty-five percent visible plant.

Hardy fuchsias are shrubby perennials that thrive in the ground here in Western Oregon all year long. Like their hanging cousins, these shrubs appreciate plenty of organic material incorporated into their planting bed, along with a couple of handfuls of all-purpose organic fertilizer.

Fuchsias are a terrific border addition, flowering all season long if kept well-watered and fertilized.

When it comes to sunlight, fuchsias need a bit more than you might think. Direct morning sun, afternoon shade or dappled shade, then a bit more sun in the evening is the ideal. Willamette Valley summers are too hot and bright for direct afternoon sunshine, but coastal gardeners can experiment with an extra hour or two - plants usually do quite well.

Wind can be an issue for some fuchsias, especially those grown as hanging baskets. Large-flowered types often don't like the wind, but smaller and/or slender species such as F. magellinica are unaffected by wind and are excellent candidates for exposed coastal conditions.

When fuchsia flowers begin to shrivel, they drop off by themselves. Unfortunately, they leave behind a seed pod that sucks energy from the plant unless removed.

Picking off seed pods is not my favorite job, but it really does keep the flower cycle moving along. Failure to remove the pods can halt flower production entirely - the plant thinks it has done it's reproductive duty and thereby doesn't need to throw out any more blossoms.

Want to make your own fuchsia baskets? Start with five 2-inch container plants in a 10- to 12-inch container.

Situate four plants around the edge and fill around them with good soil, then put another plant in the middle. compost. Use the same variety - they'll grow evenly and look more impressive. Your starts should grow into a glorious mass of blooms in about six weeks.