Don looked at one of the best of the bougainvilleas, a spectacular red flowering variety called ‘Scarlett O’Hara’. This particular plant was growing in a dry, narrow garden bed.
Bougainvilleas are very hardy and will survive without much water or fertiliser. In fact, they thrive on neglect, and will put on a fabulous flower display for many months as long as they receive plenty of sunshine and are grown in a warm position. The one we filmed was growing against a north facing masonry wall – an ideal situation as it would receive sun all day and have protection against extreme winter cold.
Further reading
For information on named varieties of bougainvillea and how to grow them, see Jan Iredell’s book ‘Growing Bougainvilleas’ ($21.80, ISBN: 0731804724).