Wayward fuscia

[WineIsMyCarb]

Total beginner here. Just moved in to new house. The front garden is bordered by a hedge made of a veriagated plant of some sort (nice), a horrible scruffy choking bully in the middle and a squashed marginalised fuscia on the edge.
I've cut out the horrible scruffy bully in the middle to give the fuscia some room to breathe. Hoping it will fill in the gap and restore our privacy over time and look lovely. I realise this might take some months or even years (?)
The problem I have is that the fuscia, now it has space, is splaying out on to the street because its branches /stems are so long. I'd say it is about 6 foot tall. All legs!
Can I cut it down, if so how far and is it the right time of year. Does that matter? When will it regrow? It's lovely so I don't want to kill it. It's quite exposed as our house is on the corner of 2 streets.
Thanks green fingered ones!

[Fucksandflowers]

My fuschias die in a cold winter then reappear in the Spring so I'd leave it and see what happens.
If it stays in place over winter then if it was me, in late spring I'd probably prune it to just above the lowest buds

[Beebumble2]

I hacked a huge front garden fuchsia to within an inch of its life, last year. It was all dead wood in the middle. This year it was completely rejuvenated and flowered better than ever.

[Babdoc]

Fuchsias are tough bastards, OP. I have one that’s over 40 years old and it’s been through some severe Scottish winters (below minus 15 some years) - it just dies down to its rootstock then regenerates. It’s currently over seven feet high and very bushy!
You can shape or prune all you want - it will have its own ideas and ignore your efforts while it grimly grows back regardless!

[Skap]

You couldn't kill it if you tried. They are beasts to get rid of and have the ability to grow back from a minute bit of root. Do your worst.

[cwg1]

November or April are the recommended times for pruning fuchsias, so you only have a few weeks to wait. Chop the whole lot down to an inch or two. It'll be fine.

[WineIsMyCarb]

Actually cut it down so it's a few inches high? Are you sure? I like it very much and I'm glad it's hardy as I am Agent-Orange-fingered.

Ok will give it another few weeks then cut it down.

Now what to do about being highly visible to the street while I pick crisp fragments out of my cleavage while watching tv...!

[Beebumble2]

I didn’t cut mine down that far. I left it at a couple of feet, after a season it has grown another foot. The size that I wanted. If it’s for privacy I’d be wary of cutting it down too drastically.

[NotMaryWhitehouse]

I second cutting down as low as you want it - we had a very woody, sad-looking fuschia in our garden and I hacked the two main branches right back - took about a metre and a half off the height- in June.

It put out a mountain of fresh growth within weeks and has been flowering solidly for a couple of months now!

[cwg1]

I've pruned fuchsias as I've described and they really have been fine. However, it's up to you, of course, and, as PPs have said, they're tough beasts