A BOLTON barber has put the town on the horticultural map thanks to the appliance of science.

When crimper George Foster, aged 57, is not busy in his Manchester Road cutting room, he is boosting Bolton's flower power via the World Wide Web.

Radcliffe resident George, a self-confessed fuchsia fanatic, created a website dedicated to his passion flower two years ago. Since then the site has received thousands of "hits" from all over the globe.

George, who is treasurer of the Salford and Bolton Fuchsia Society, said the site offers tips and information on how to best care for the plants as well as the low-down on upcoming fuchsia-related events.

"It's really taken off," George to the BEN. "I get inquiries from all over the world about how to grow fuchsias. In particular, I get a lot of requests from Florida.

"The fuchsia prefers cool climates so it must be very difficult to grow them out there."

George became keen on the flowers seven years ago when his mother-in-law bought him a hanging basket full as a present.

He said: "I have always been a keen gardener but the fuchsia fascinated me, it comes in such a wide variety of sizes and colours that it never loses its appeal. "I am also interested in computers so it seemed natural to combine the two."

After setting up the site -- www.salfordboltonfuchsiasociety.co.uk -- George became pally with another fuchsia loving nethead, Julio Guri in Barcelona.

Now George takes his laptop computer with him wherever he goes so he can constantly update his site.

He added: "When things go quiet in the shop I get the computer out and see what is going on with the site and answer some of the many e-mails I am sent."

George says the fuchsia club is now gearing up for its Millennium Show which takes place at Worsley Hall Garden Centre over the weekend.

The show is expected to attract hundreds of people and more than 250 varieties of the plant will be on show.

And the show will mean an extra treat for George because his buddy from Barcelona will be making a special visit.

He said: "Julio came to our show last year and he will be staying with us again this year so hopefully we can share some tips on flowers and computers."