The secrets no one will tell you are:
reason 1
Botrytis blight
"Fungicides appropriate for Botrytis include 26 GT, 26/36, Compass, Cleary's 3336, Botran, Decree, Daconil, Dithane, Heritage, Exotherm Termil, Sextant, Protect DF, and Medallion. Resistance to Cleary's 3336, 26 GT, and Sextant has been reported in Botrytis populations. Always alternate fungicide applications between materials with different modes of action to prevent resistance development."

California used to have lots of fuchsia, they all died due to this blight, now you hardly ever see them.

Reason 2 fuchsia die is they have not made enough hard wood to survive the winter. Keep in green house or indoors until it has wood. It take over a year to make good wood.

Reason 3 many of the fancy high breeds with nicer flowers are weaker than the old tried and true plants. Try to get a basic fuchsia with smaller more boring flowers that has been around in California. Try to get one on Craig's or something that has survived in California. I got lucky, someone was throwing out one with good wood, that I found. All the other hybrids all died on me. Ask the nursery for an older model or special order one.
Many people have them these old survivors, and don't like them. I have talked to people who cut them down and they grow back like weeds. It should be easy to find one to save from someone who does like them. These are the less pretty ones and mostly in red. Go with red, red and white, or maybe red and purple. If those live and you want to move on to the fancy types a green house would really be need to get a full gardening going of the hybrids. I would think so, but I am not really sure. The do all the things you should, improve your soil and so on, and all general gardening practices for good plants.
BTW this is tropical thought, she is me, the same as bug girl, but I could not log in as tropical thought, so I have posted a few things under the old name

Here is a link that might be useful: old survivor fuchsia my plant tropicalthought

I think the reason for fuchsia's declined in CA was the introduction of the fuchsia gall mite. The mites are transmitted by hummingbirds, cross-contact and wind. The resulting damage is distorted leaves and no flowers. Mite resistant fuchsia are available. (try Annies) Some species fuchsia are mostly left alone (boliviana for one) - and hybrids of magellanica. My Magellanica aurea gets it some, and I prune those branches off. In winter I cut it nearly to the ground, and it comes back clean in Spring.

Sorry I can't recommend a fuchsia book, but all you need to know would be in the Sunset Garden Book :)

Fuchsia like morning sun and afternoon shade.

Chad

I suggest doing a search for species resistant to fuchsia gall mites (and hybrids from those species as well).

Here's something to start with: Breeding gall mite-resistant Fuchsia hybrids at Strybing Arboretum: Update 2001

I have several fuchsia arborescens and have had no problems with the mites. I also have hybrids that are unaffected, but name tags are long gone.

Cold is not an issue here in coastal SoCal, so I can't offer any information on protection from low temperatures, or cold hardiness.

This article includes names of resistant hybrids: Mite Resistant Fuchsias

That was it, I think "mite" not blight, but they can get a blight also. You are in zone 8, but I am in zone 10 and they all died in the winter, all the hybrids due to lack of wood. So, a green house would be paramount for zone 8. Even if you had an old survivor I am not sure about zone 8. I only know about San Francisco.

The members of the American Fuchsia Society would be thrilled to talk with you. Browse their web site, then look for a group that meets in your county. Visit a meeting or two, or even join! They're friendly folk.

http://www.americanfuchsiasociety.org/

Here is a link that might be useful: American Fuchsia Society

The article Nancy posted suggested Bayer's advanced care, but they changed the name to 3 in 1. I broke down the 3 ingredients.

0.47% Imidacloprid this is for insects
0.61% Tau-Fluvalinate this is for mites
0.65% Tebuconazole this is a Fungicide

so you really only need to be sure what you are using has something for mites, if this is your only problem, but I don't know just has something for mites with the others. I have to use it for spider mites.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bayer 3 in one

Thank you very much everyone, I can feel my dream fuchsia garden growing closer ;o)

I bookmarked the American Fuchsia Society page, I think the local chapter is having an event in a couple of weeks because I read about a special fuchsia event/sale that I'm planning on going to.

Thanks again!

just a word of caution - if you use any systemic poison on your fuchsia's, it will be bad news for any hummingbirds...

Chad

Fuchsia gall mites are a very different kind than the more common spider mites. They're eriophyid mites

I'm uncertain of the current effective treatment -- other than growing resistant fuchsias -- but large local garden centers should know and the Fuchsia Society members certainly will.

In my experience this is one of those Genus where joining the local club and talking with other growers directly is extremely valuable.

Oh, I did not know that. I only heard somewhere that there was something that came and wiped out all the fuchsias a while back like in the 70's. A blight? A mite? I don't know what, and that the ones that survived "old survivors" would have lived past that.

So gall mite will not respond to spider mite treatments?
The site said all large flowering ones will get it, and mine looks to have large flowers, they are red. So, I don't know, maybe I never had gall mite? I know I have spider mites in my garden. I have had them for years. You can't kill mites without a miteocide, if you just use a insecticide it won't kill the mites.

I thought it could have been blight or a fungal type of thing. I am not ruling that out. But, cold was the number one killer. I would not invest in buying many of them, until you see if you can get any of to live past winter.