No Bougainvill ‘ere!

Posted on by John

Sometimes I make mistakes. Quite often actually! This was one of them. I can’t remember what I intended to order but somehow I ended up with a Bougainvillea. I did check the order and I did order it. Until it arrived I knew nothing about this species. I soon discovered it had thorns and isn’t hardy. But, to give it a chance, I procured a nice ceramic container and plopped it in. It did flower nicely in its first year. I removed it to the (heated) greenhouse for the winter and, in the late spring, brought it back out, tenderly pruned it into shape and was rewarded with about four bracts (the bits you notice aren’t flowers, of course).

Undeterred, I again cosseted it through the winter. This year it rewarded me with two bracts. If it flowers next year it will be in the heavens (sorry for the pun), its place taken by an Ilex aquifoleum Ingramii. I don’t have room for Alpacas but do have some long plant labels.

This post is part of my “Fill the Gill Heavens Gap” series. Gill is currently vacationing in a derelict badger sett and subsisting on a diet of cheese and onion crisps. Normal service will be resumed over at Off the Edge Gardening when the gin supplies run out. Meanwhile, I’ll be taking a break tomorrow. The ersatz Gill will return on Thursday.

5 thoughts on “No Bougainvill ‘ere!”

  1. Ha! I used to have one and spent too long tending it with great hopes. Then, when I worked in the garden centre, I saw that even with very good care they didn’t look very good, nor perform especially well. Best left to be enjoyed in the Med I think. Along with Retsina. D

    1. Well my old one is free to perform as it wishes now. Never really liked Retsina; tasted too much like the stuff I used to rub on the violin bow smelt. But of course, you like Greece where its a staple of the diet.

  2. Tricky one, Nancy Nightingale has bought herself one with visions of Portugal, she is going to be very disappointed. She eventually took it in last week but it was already looking rather sad. Well done, you are doing a very good infill job.

    1. I think it’s more than just “taking it in”. It was a real pain (literally) in the first winter when I discovered the thorns. But it seems so fussy about the temperature, amount of light and watering and if not everything it perfect, it sulks. And it’s supposed to be a climber so fat chance of realising its destiny. And thanks for the vote of confidence. I trust you are still thinking of returning to the fold after Christmas? Pretty please?

Comments are closed.