Bougainvillea

The South American bougainvillea needs to be grown in a heated conservatory border or large 30cm pot, where the restricted root space means it will not hit the 8m mark which it will in ideal conditions. Flamboyant and fun, it has a rich covering of purple-magenta papery bracts (the real flowers are tucked away inside) from summer to autumn. When pruning, cut back the side shoots leaving three to four buds. Provide a high nitrogen feed when it comes into growth, followed by a high potash feed when the buds appear. Keep just moist in winter.