FLORIDA GARDENING - BOUGAINVILLEA

For a very long time, I have loved bougainvilleas.

But because I used to live in Indiana,

I could not have them grow outside.

But that has all changed now that I live in Florida.

I love the many colors that it has and how

thick the flowers can be.

So today I decided that it was time

for me to go and purchase them.

Off to Lowe's I went.

I found two in the dark pink color that I fell in love with.

Bought two and brought them home.

I learned that the name comes from Louis Antoine de Bougainville, 

a French navigator and military commander who was the first

European to take note of the plant, in Brazil, in 1768.

The Bougainvillea is a tropical and subtropical woody, evergreen, shrubby vine.

The true, perfect flowers are small, tubular, and surrounded

by showy, colorful petaloid bracts.

They grow best in full sun.

Strong light is required for good flowering.

They can tolerate hot dry locations, 

 First thing was to clear the area.

I dug out several roses that I thought

would come back to life with my care.

But that wasn't the case.

 The two Bougainvilleas that I bought.

They both had trellises already in the pots.

They were very easy to plant.

Watered the plants and then added a bag of black mulch.

Now to enjoy and water once a week.