How to Care & Cultivate Variegated Bougainvillea

A little bit of introduction here.

I just realized that I had cultivated this begonia for 12 years from a small cutting in a pot to this nice bushy roof canopy like shrub. Sometimes, you will never know how they form and grow over the years and suddenly you find them.. 

Walla! A wonderful amazing plant to a tree within the 12 years time frame.

From a medium size pot to placing here it grew to a wonderful well formed shrub.

Unlike common bougainvillea - the green leaf types, the variegated ones have thin stem and often less mean-looking thorns compared to the former. I like these when they don't flower, the leaves have colors to add feature in the garden.

Currently, this is how it looks like in it's grand formation of it's glory, constantly blooming non-stop. The flowers are first appears in rose slowly turning to peach orange tones. Sort of like a hand-made paper flowers as the locals interesting call them "Bunga Kertas" meaning Paper Flowers.

These are my Tips and Secrets on How I Care for my Variegated Bougainvillea:

Planting:

If you are in the tropical region and if your weather is fine and good, I encourage you to grow this on ground, placing them in a permanent spot. If you have a temperate climate then the best thing to do is to plant it in a big deep root pot where you can bring them indoors during winter.

Bougainvillea requires deep rooting space and its best to plant on ground. Otherwise a big deep pot will do but you will be discounting on the fabulous cascading floral that come only exclusively when they are planted on ground.

Also, Do not place a tray under the pot for water catchment. Bougainvillea hates wet feet and may face root rot and the whole plant may die. Keep this plant more on a drier side. It is better to water it when necessary rather than over watering it. Once the plant had grown bigger and stable - watering is not an issue especially if it grown on ground.

Pruning:

At the earlier stage, focus the plant on growth.

That means pruning all the side branches and pinching off the flowers are necessary for it to grow taller and well formed. Do not prune the main branch rather prune off all the side shoots that appear from bottom. This will force the plant to grow upward.

Pruning the bottom part and make the appearance where it is just one big thick juicy stalk. This is very important. The plant will eventually will grow top heavy and form like an umbrella kind of shape where it will burst into flowers. It may take years but it is so worth it.

Use fertilizer that specialize for plant growth during this time rather than flowering. It will flower time to time but it won't be showy. Another factor is that this one (especially the variegated types) are slow growers compared to the all green leaf types. They are vigorous growers.

Once the plant had established. There is nothing must to do except daily sweep off the fallen flowers in the morning. They are just fabulous in giving that burst of life in the garden. I had found that they explode with more blooms after a drought season. Soon after a few days of rain - the flowers blooms ever more. And so - watering is not much needed unless the leaves started to fall off.

Even then, I had noticed certain breed where you allow every leaves to fall out and when watered deep and heavy the flowers show up first making that bonsai like appearance of only stem and flowers only plant.

Sunlight:

This is very important. Bougainvillea is a sun loving plant. If you have open sunny area - this is the best plant to grow and I will never recommend you to grow these in shaded area unless you are contented with the variegated foliage from this plant - even then, the colors of the leaves in shade will appear more green than colors (another downside)

Also, they will only bloom when expose to full sun. It won't bloom in indirect light areas.

Propagation:

Bougainvilleas do not produce fruit or seeds and therefore the best optimum way to propagate them is to use cutting. Use a clean sterile cutter and trim about 1 feet of stem removing off the bottom portion of leaves and use rooting hormone before planting it into a potting mix. Place it in a shade area with minimum watering and slowly introduce it to sunny area once new growth is visible.

Edible Flowers:

Though this flower is abundant here in my region, many do not venture into consuming this flowers as food. However I believe some people do fancy eating them. There are many information concerning how to use this flower for culinary purpose especially frying the flower with a batter or using as tea or vinegar drink.

If you had eaten this flower and enjoyed it - do feel free to share your experience.

I saw this around my neighborhood where this variegated bougainvillea is fully white. Such amazing cascading shrub that welcomes the home owner. I'm pretty sure that this was planned years ago.

Seeing this - it reminds me that you can just have one plant and it just gives that wow factor.

Do share your thoughts and experiences you have with bougainvilleas.

Any queries and questions are welcome.

Vines and Creepers by the Gate (Firecracker Plant / Bougainvillea / Chalice Vine)

If I would say not everything is dominated by the Passion Fruit Vine. 

Of which blooms once in a while with the orange-red tones.

The Chalice Vine was growing steadily but seemed never to flower at all.
That is another ordeal of awaiting to do with patience.
I had pushed its vine upward towards the roof side.
If it grace me with flowers - it would definitely be a cascading effect.

Regardless,
Fire Cracker plant never seemed to go slow with its blooms.
That is a burst of flowers spanning over the stalk
Just enough to make the Sunbirds happy.

These dwells at the entrance of my gate.
Few plants - but truly giants like the Fairy Tale.
Jack and the Bean Stalk.
Only if Jack can muster some golden eggs and harp from here.

Bougainvilleas

There is something nice about Bougainvilleas when you view it from the top.
And there is another thing when you see those leaves in a variegated form.
Then another addition when they are Trailing type.
And put all together you get:
A Trailing Variegated Bougainvillea cascading downward with bouquets of flowers.
That is something to look at when it comes to Vertical Gardening.

The only set back is that the soil get washed down over time when they are watered.
And so ground covers like Red Flame Ivy, Basket plants and few creepers are added
to keep the soil medium in their place.

Let's see how long these bougainvilleas manages in this vertical setting.

The Vines and Villa's (Clerodendrum thomsoniae / Variegated Trailing Bougainvillea / Passiflora / Solandra grandiflora)

I used to marvel looking at vines when I was a child.
Somehow those childhood memories concerning them captivates in my desire to have them in my garden.
The fact is they never seemed enough regardless how wild they might appear to be.
I'm pretty sure those who are in love with vines with share the same joy with me.

The amazing part about them is that they are very generous with their blooms.
Here I've set the Bleeding Heart Vine together with a Variegated Trailing Bougainvillea.
Earlier my garden had undergone some renovation works
which had caused major watering routine schedule.
They all but had almost died turning into twigs.

Somehow - a little help with rain and slowly picking myself back into gardening had made a difference in them. They are now started to sprout with flower buds and slowly filling my garden with colours again.

Plants in this list:

1) Bleeding Heart Vine - Clerodendrum thomsoniae
2) Variegated Trailing Bougainvillea
3) Passion Fruit Vine
4) Chalice Vine - Solandra grandiflora

I wish to add slowly more species that I can twine it together
to give more richer colour, variety and density.
The only setback it handling them in properly
as one plant can easily overtake another.
Pruning is must to keep them in check and control but that again, if you enjoy a wild growth in a garden - who is going to tell you that it is wrong.




The Vine & the Villea Story.

Once a upon a time (in a little house in the Prairie)
Lived this guy who fancy himself in a Villa
and that his neighbor who was poor as a poor
could only offer nothing but a big warm heart of love..

One day they both got together and decided to stay together.
His neighbor was so moved that his heart burst out with appreciation.
And thus remembered as the Bleeding Heart who lived in the Villa.

Then eventually both became a legend.
And these two plants were named The Bleeding Heart Vine
and The Trailing Bougainvillea.

Hope you enjoyed my lipstick short story.



Variegated Trailing Bougainvillea















PASSION FRUIT VINE (PASSIFLORA)

Chalice Vine - Solandra grandiflora