Bio & Curriculum Fuchsiae
I'm available for talks and lectures. If you'd like a presentation for your garden show, plant society, or garden club, let me know. Most travel is within a reachable radius of The Fuchsietum, of course, But I'm open to offers from most anywhere. Fees and expenses as applicable. Please connect me via one of these social media links. I'd love to hear from you! ➤ Bluesky Social ➤ Instagram ➤ Facebook
I'm available for talks and lectures. If you'd like a presentation for your garden show, plant society, or garden club, let me know. Most travel is within a reachable radius of The Fuchsietum, of course, But I'm open to offers from most anywhere. Fees and expenses as applicable. Please connect me via one of these social media links. I'd love to hear from you! ➤ Bluesky Social ➤ Instagram ➤ Facebook
R. Theo Margelony
Fuchsiologist and Blogger
Fuchsiologist and Blogger
In October 2019, R. Theo Margelony and his Fuchsias in the City were transplanted from a tiny urban garden of 1/94th acre in Manhattan to grow and blog anew at The Fuchsietum | A Garden in Portland. Theo likes to talk about fuchsias and how to grow and enjoy these diverse classics everywhere, as well as on the pleasures and challenges of starting a new garden in the Pacific Northwest, Theo is currently the President of the Oregon Fuchsia Society.
Theo's essays on fuchsias have appeared in the quarterly Bulletin of the British Fuchsia Society, as well as the Bulletin of the Société Nationale d'Horticulture de France (SNHF), Section Fuchsia. He also contributes a quarterly feature from his garden for the Northwest Fuchsia Society’s publication, The Fuchsia Flash.
In September 2023, he was a keynote dinner speaker for the British Fuchsia Society’s 80th Anniversary celebration and display at RHS Malvern, the UK’s second largest garden show after RHS-Chelsea, and has spoken the the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle in 2023, 2024, and again in 2025.
Before moving to the Pacific Northwest to pursue his passion for fuchsias, Theo worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He long pursued heraldry, his other addiction, in the Department of Medieval Art & The Cloisters. His articles on The Garden in Heraldry appeared on The Cloisters Museum & Garden’s former blog, The Medieval Garden Enclosed.
The Fuchsia+Blog can be found at The Fuchsietum.com. It has posts and essays on fuchsias, as well as many other garden and plant topics that catch his attention.
Theo's essays on fuchsias have appeared in the quarterly Bulletin of the British Fuchsia Society, as well as the Bulletin of the Société Nationale d'Horticulture de France (SNHF), Section Fuchsia. He also contributes a quarterly feature from his garden for the Northwest Fuchsia Society’s publication, The Fuchsia Flash.
In September 2023, he was a keynote dinner speaker for the British Fuchsia Society’s 80th Anniversary celebration and display at RHS Malvern, the UK’s second largest garden show after RHS-Chelsea, and has spoken the the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle in 2023, 2024, and again in 2025.
Before moving to the Pacific Northwest to pursue his passion for fuchsias, Theo worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He long pursued heraldry, his other addiction, in the Department of Medieval Art & The Cloisters. His articles on The Garden in Heraldry appeared on The Cloisters Museum & Garden’s former blog, The Medieval Garden Enclosed.
The Fuchsia+Blog can be found at The Fuchsietum.com. It has posts and essays on fuchsias, as well as many other garden and plant topics that catch his attention.
President
Oregon Fuchsia Society (OFS)
Member
American Fuchsia Society (AFS)
American Horticultural Society (AHS)
British Fuchsia Society (BFS)
Hardy Plant Society of Oregon (HPSO)
Int'l Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)
Linnaean Society of London (ALS)
Northwest Fuchsia Society (NWFS)
Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
Upcoming in 2026
Wake up Sleepy Heads! Overwintering Fuchsias in Pots & Containers. DIY Stage, Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, Spring Parade, Feb. 18-22, 2026. Seattle Convention Center. 18 February 2026.
(https://www.gardenshow.com/seminars/speakers-at-a-glance)
Hardy Fuchsias. Jewels of the Garden. Clackamas Master Gardener Association, Milwaukie Center, Milwaukie OR. 13 April 2026
Aculops fuchsiae. The Brazilian Fuchsia Gall Mite. Fuchsia Fanciers of Centralia, Fort Borst Park, Centralia, Wash. 11 May 2026.
Hardy Fuchsias. Jewels of the Garden. Clark County Hardy Plant Society Group, 13 May 2026
Fuchsias! Nottingham Fuchsia Society, Nottingham, United Kingdom. Zoom 26 May 2026
2025
Namaqualand. A Plant Safari in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Mt. Hood Gesneriad Society, Portland OR. 11 November 2025
"The Genus Fuchsia. Section Encliandra". The British Fuchsia Society Bulletin The British Fuchsia Society, London UK. Fall 2025, pp. 37-43.
Aculops fuchsiae. The Brazilian Fuchsia Gall Mite. Mt. Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland OR. 21 October 2025.
"Namaqualand. A Plant Safari in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Reading & District Fuchsia Society, Reading. United Kingdom. Zoom 20 October 2025.
Fuchsias & Friends. How a New Garden Came to Be. Medford Garden Club, Medford, Oregon, 17 October 2025.
"There's a New Greenhouse at the Fuchsietum". BFS Bulletin, The British Fuchsia Society, London UK. Summer 2025, pp 12-14.
Fuchsia-La! he Hidden Empire of Fuchsia Species for the Garden & Greenhouse. Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland, Oregon. 20 May 2025
Growing Hardy Fuchsias in Your Garden. Hillsboro Garden Club, Hillsboro, Oregon. 19 May 2025.
"Spotlight på Fuchsia juntasensis" and 'Interview med Theo Margelony af Paul Munro". Fuchsia, Dansk Fuchsia Selskab (Danish Fuchsia Society), Copenhagen Denmark. May 2025, Vol. 2, pp, 8-9 and 10-14.
Hardy Fuchsias. Jewels of the Garden. Trillium Trails Garden Club, Welches, Oregon. 22 April 2025.
Fuchsia-La! The Hidden Empire of Fuchsia Species for the Garden & Greenhouse. Plant Academy Seminar Series, Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, Feb. 19-23, 2025 Seattle Convention Center. 22 February 2025.
(https://www.gardenshow.com/seminars/speakers)
Designing with Fuchsias, Fuchsia Fanciers of Centralia, Fort Borst Park, Centralia, Wash. 10 February 2025
Hardy Fuchsias. Jewels of the Garden. Garden Fever, Portland, Oregon. 10 January 2025.
"The Fuchsietum | A Garden in Portland", Column Author. The Fuchsia Flash, Northwest Fuchsia Society Quarterly Publication, NW Fuchsia Society, Seattle, Washington. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter 2022-2025.
President, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2025.
Editor, Fuchsia Facts, Newsletter, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2025
2024
On the Trail of the Fuchsia. Adventurers and Plant Hunters—José Mariano Mociño. Fuchsia Species, Hybridisation, and Heritage Group, The British Fuchsia Society, London, United Kingdom. Zoom 28 July 2024.
Perennial Favorites—Hardy Fuchsias in the Garden. Columbia County Master Gardeners Association, Oregon Sate University Extension Service Building, Columbia County, 505 North Columbia River Highway, St. Helens, Oregon, 97051. 23 May 2024.
"Care & Culture — A Guide to Growing Fuchsias. Choosing the Right Potting Soil & Mixes. The British Fuchsia Society Bulletin The British Fuchsia Society, London UK. Spring 2024, pp 14-16.
In the Garden. On the Patio. The Versatile Fuchsia Does It All. Plant Academy Seminar Series, Portland Spring Home & Garden Show. February 21-25. Portland Expo Center, Portland OR, 25 February 2024.
In the Garden. On the Patio. The Versatile Fuchsia Does It All. Plant Academy Seminar Series, Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, Feb. 14-18, 2024. Seattle Convention Center 17 February 2024.
(https://www.gardenshow.com/seminars/speakers)
Fuchsias in the City. Manhattan, New York. Fuchsia Fanciers of Centralia, Fort Borst Park, Centralia, Wash. 12 February 2024.
"The Fuchsietum | A Garden in Portland", Column Author. The Fuchsia Flash, Northwest Fuchsia Society Quarterly Publication, NW Fuchsias Society, Seattle, Washington. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter 2022-2024.
President, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2024.
Editor, Fuchsia Facts Newsletter. The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2024
2023
The Fuchsietum. A Year in the Life of a New Fuchsia Garden. The American Fuchsia Society's Annual General Meeting, Sebastopol, California. 14 October 2023.
Hardy Fuchsias. Greater Portland Iris Society, Ainsworth House & Gardens, Oregon City, Oregon. 3 October 2023.
Kew, Sir Joseph Banks, and George III's Sheep Stud, or, How the Fuchsia First Came to Britain. The British Fuchsia Society 85th Anniversary Celebration, RHS-Malvern Autumn Show, Great Malvern UK, 22 & 24 September 2023.
"From Fuchsias in the City to The Fuchsietum". The HPSO Quarterly, vol. 11, no. 3, Summer 2023, pp. 22-24, illus.
Forkner, Lorene Edwards. Interviewed in "How to boost the ‘hardy’ factor of your hardy fuchsias in the PNW". Pacific NW Magazine, The Seattle Times, Seattle, Wash. 15 May 2023.
(https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/how-to-boost-the-hardy-factor-of-your-hardy-fuchsias-in-the-pnw/)
Growing Hardy Fuchsias in the Pacific Northwest, Canby Garden Club, Pioneer Chapel, Canby, Ore. 16 April 2023.
Fuchsia Species. Fooling around with Fuchsias, A Fuchsia Symposium, Fuchsia Fanciers of Centralia, Fort Borst Park, Centralia, Wash. 1 April 2023.
On the Dry Side. Fuchsia magellanica in the Northern Patagonian Lake District of Argentina. Fuchsia Species, Hybridisation, and Heritage Group, The British Fuchsia Society, London, United Kingdom. Zoom 21 February 2023
Perennial Favorites: Hardy Fuchsias in the Garden. Garden 101: Not your Granny's Plants, Ranier Room. Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, Feb. 15-19, 2023. Seattle Convention Center 16 February 2023.
(https://www.gardenshow.com/seminars/speakers)
"The Fuchsietum | A Garden in Portland", Column Author. The Fuchsia Flash, Northwest Fuchsia Society Quarterly Publication, NW Fuchsia Society, Seattle, Washington. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter 2022-23.
Vice-President, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2023.
Editor, Fuchsia Facts Newsletter. The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2023
2022
PowellsWood During Fuchsia Season with Justin Henderson & R Theo Margelony. Talk and event at PowellsWood, Federal Way, Washington for the Northwest Horticultural Society, September 2022.
https://northwesthort.org/event/powellswood-during-fuchsia-season-with-justin-henderson-r-theo-margelony/
Garden Time TV Interview. July 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBHQkSKKbV8
"The Fuchsietum | A Garden in Portland", Column Author. The Fuchsia Flash, Northwest Fuchsia Society Quarterly Publication, NW Fuchsia Society, Seattle, Washington. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter 2022
Vice-President, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2022.
2020-21
Board of Directors, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2020-2021.
Editor, Fuchsia Facts Newsletter. The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2021
2016
"Darwin et le fuchsia", Plantes et Botanique - Bulletin Fuchsia, Société Nationale d'Horticulture de France (SNHF). Spring 2016. pp. 4-9.
2014
"The Garden in Heraldry: A Badge of Garlic, Please". In Season Blog, The Met Cloisters, Department of Medieval Art & The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.18 September 2014.
https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/in-season/2014/the-garden-in-heraldry-badge-of-garlic#:~:text=All%20sorts%20of%20plants%20have,the%20fleur%2Dde%2Dlis.
2011
Wake up Sleepy Heads! Overwintering Fuchsias in Pots & Containers. DIY Stage, Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, Spring Parade, Feb. 18-22, 2026. Seattle Convention Center. 18 February 2026.
(https://www.gardenshow.com/seminars/speakers-at-a-glance)
Hardy Fuchsias. Jewels of the Garden. Clackamas Master Gardener Association, Milwaukie Center, Milwaukie OR. 13 April 2026
Aculops fuchsiae. The Brazilian Fuchsia Gall Mite. Fuchsia Fanciers of Centralia, Fort Borst Park, Centralia, Wash. 11 May 2026.
Hardy Fuchsias. Jewels of the Garden. Clark County Hardy Plant Society Group, 13 May 2026
Fuchsias! Nottingham Fuchsia Society, Nottingham, United Kingdom. Zoom 26 May 2026
2025
Namaqualand. A Plant Safari in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Mt. Hood Gesneriad Society, Portland OR. 11 November 2025
"The Genus Fuchsia. Section Encliandra". The British Fuchsia Society Bulletin The British Fuchsia Society, London UK. Fall 2025, pp. 37-43.
Aculops fuchsiae. The Brazilian Fuchsia Gall Mite. Mt. Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland OR. 21 October 2025.
"Namaqualand. A Plant Safari in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Reading & District Fuchsia Society, Reading. United Kingdom. Zoom 20 October 2025.
Fuchsias & Friends. How a New Garden Came to Be. Medford Garden Club, Medford, Oregon, 17 October 2025.
"There's a New Greenhouse at the Fuchsietum". BFS Bulletin, The British Fuchsia Society, London UK. Summer 2025, pp 12-14.
Fuchsia-La! he Hidden Empire of Fuchsia Species for the Garden & Greenhouse. Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland, Oregon. 20 May 2025
Growing Hardy Fuchsias in Your Garden. Hillsboro Garden Club, Hillsboro, Oregon. 19 May 2025.
"Spotlight på Fuchsia juntasensis" and 'Interview med Theo Margelony af Paul Munro". Fuchsia, Dansk Fuchsia Selskab (Danish Fuchsia Society), Copenhagen Denmark. May 2025, Vol. 2, pp, 8-9 and 10-14.
Hardy Fuchsias. Jewels of the Garden. Trillium Trails Garden Club, Welches, Oregon. 22 April 2025.
Fuchsia-La! The Hidden Empire of Fuchsia Species for the Garden & Greenhouse. Plant Academy Seminar Series, Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, Feb. 19-23, 2025 Seattle Convention Center. 22 February 2025.
(https://www.gardenshow.com/seminars/speakers)
Designing with Fuchsias, Fuchsia Fanciers of Centralia, Fort Borst Park, Centralia, Wash. 10 February 2025
Hardy Fuchsias. Jewels of the Garden. Garden Fever, Portland, Oregon. 10 January 2025.
"The Fuchsietum | A Garden in Portland", Column Author. The Fuchsia Flash, Northwest Fuchsia Society Quarterly Publication, NW Fuchsia Society, Seattle, Washington. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter 2022-2025.
President, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2025.
Editor, Fuchsia Facts, Newsletter, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2025
2024
On the Trail of the Fuchsia. Adventurers and Plant Hunters—José Mariano Mociño. Fuchsia Species, Hybridisation, and Heritage Group, The British Fuchsia Society, London, United Kingdom. Zoom 28 July 2024.
Perennial Favorites—Hardy Fuchsias in the Garden. Columbia County Master Gardeners Association, Oregon Sate University Extension Service Building, Columbia County, 505 North Columbia River Highway, St. Helens, Oregon, 97051. 23 May 2024.
"Care & Culture — A Guide to Growing Fuchsias. Choosing the Right Potting Soil & Mixes. The British Fuchsia Society Bulletin The British Fuchsia Society, London UK. Spring 2024, pp 14-16.
In the Garden. On the Patio. The Versatile Fuchsia Does It All. Plant Academy Seminar Series, Portland Spring Home & Garden Show. February 21-25. Portland Expo Center, Portland OR, 25 February 2024.
In the Garden. On the Patio. The Versatile Fuchsia Does It All. Plant Academy Seminar Series, Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, Feb. 14-18, 2024. Seattle Convention Center 17 February 2024.
(https://www.gardenshow.com/seminars/speakers)
Fuchsias in the City. Manhattan, New York. Fuchsia Fanciers of Centralia, Fort Borst Park, Centralia, Wash. 12 February 2024.
"The Fuchsietum | A Garden in Portland", Column Author. The Fuchsia Flash, Northwest Fuchsia Society Quarterly Publication, NW Fuchsias Society, Seattle, Washington. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter 2022-2024.
President, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2024.
Editor, Fuchsia Facts Newsletter. The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2024
2023
The Fuchsietum. A Year in the Life of a New Fuchsia Garden. The American Fuchsia Society's Annual General Meeting, Sebastopol, California. 14 October 2023.
Hardy Fuchsias. Greater Portland Iris Society, Ainsworth House & Gardens, Oregon City, Oregon. 3 October 2023.
Kew, Sir Joseph Banks, and George III's Sheep Stud, or, How the Fuchsia First Came to Britain. The British Fuchsia Society 85th Anniversary Celebration, RHS-Malvern Autumn Show, Great Malvern UK, 22 & 24 September 2023.
"From Fuchsias in the City to The Fuchsietum". The HPSO Quarterly, vol. 11, no. 3, Summer 2023, pp. 22-24, illus.
Forkner, Lorene Edwards. Interviewed in "How to boost the ‘hardy’ factor of your hardy fuchsias in the PNW". Pacific NW Magazine, The Seattle Times, Seattle, Wash. 15 May 2023.
(https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/how-to-boost-the-hardy-factor-of-your-hardy-fuchsias-in-the-pnw/)
Growing Hardy Fuchsias in the Pacific Northwest, Canby Garden Club, Pioneer Chapel, Canby, Ore. 16 April 2023.
Fuchsia Species. Fooling around with Fuchsias, A Fuchsia Symposium, Fuchsia Fanciers of Centralia, Fort Borst Park, Centralia, Wash. 1 April 2023.
On the Dry Side. Fuchsia magellanica in the Northern Patagonian Lake District of Argentina. Fuchsia Species, Hybridisation, and Heritage Group, The British Fuchsia Society, London, United Kingdom. Zoom 21 February 2023
Perennial Favorites: Hardy Fuchsias in the Garden. Garden 101: Not your Granny's Plants, Ranier Room. Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, Feb. 15-19, 2023. Seattle Convention Center 16 February 2023.
(https://www.gardenshow.com/seminars/speakers)
"The Fuchsietum | A Garden in Portland", Column Author. The Fuchsia Flash, Northwest Fuchsia Society Quarterly Publication, NW Fuchsia Society, Seattle, Washington. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter 2022-23.
Vice-President, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2023.
Editor, Fuchsia Facts Newsletter. The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2023
2022
PowellsWood During Fuchsia Season with Justin Henderson & R Theo Margelony. Talk and event at PowellsWood, Federal Way, Washington for the Northwest Horticultural Society, September 2022.
https://northwesthort.org/event/powellswood-during-fuchsia-season-with-justin-henderson-r-theo-margelony/
Garden Time TV Interview. July 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBHQkSKKbV8
"The Fuchsietum | A Garden in Portland", Column Author. The Fuchsia Flash, Northwest Fuchsia Society Quarterly Publication, NW Fuchsia Society, Seattle, Washington. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter 2022
Vice-President, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2022.
2020-21
Board of Directors, The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2020-2021.
Editor, Fuchsia Facts Newsletter. The Oregon Fuchsia Society, Portland Oregon. 2021
2016
"Darwin et le fuchsia", Plantes et Botanique - Bulletin Fuchsia, Société Nationale d'Horticulture de France (SNHF). Spring 2016. pp. 4-9.
2014
"The Garden in Heraldry: A Badge of Garlic, Please". In Season Blog, The Met Cloisters, Department of Medieval Art & The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.18 September 2014.
https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/in-season/2014/the-garden-in-heraldry-badge-of-garlic#:~:text=All%20sorts%20of%20plants%20have,the%20fleur%2Dde%2Dlis.
2011
"The Garden in Heraldry: The Great Oak of the Forest", The Medieval Garden Enclosed Blog, The Met Cloisters Museum & Gardens, Department of Medieval Art & The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 8 December 2011.
https://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/tag/heraldry/
"The Garden in Heraldry: “Pluck a red rose from off this thorn…” The Medieval Garden Enclosed Blog, The Met Cloisters Museum & Gardens, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 2 September 2011.
https://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/tag/heraldry/
"The Garden in Heraldry: From Field to Field". The Medieval Garden Enclosed Blog, The Met Cloisters Museum & Gardens, Department of Medieval Art & The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 11 March 2011.
https://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2011/03/11/the-garden-in-heraldry-from-field-to-field/
2010
"The Garden in Heraldry: The Lily". The Medieval Garden Enclosed Blog, The Met Cloisters Museum & Gardens, Department of Medieval Art & The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 26 April 2010.
https://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2010/04/26/the-garden-in-heraldry/
