Beautiful Bougainvillea

Summer's here, with warm sun, garden parties, and long, balmy evenings. One way to celebrate the season in style is with new limited edition outdoor bougainvillea.

Those who love these colourful plants, commonly seen on whitewashed houses in the Mediterranean, can now enjoy a hardier version in their UK garden. The perfect finishing touch to outside dining, they'll keep on going even when summer begins to fade.

It's easy to keep these gorgeous plants to welcome next summer. Road-tested in Norway, they're cold-tolerant especially for wintertime in the UK, so place either in a sheltered spot in the garden that won't catch the frost, or bring indoors when it's extra chilly, bringing a touch of the Mediterranean to the gloomy winter months.

The plants are hardy to five degrees celsius, and able to withstand temperatures as low as zero degrees. They'll need protecting or bringing indoors when the thermometer drops below freezing.

They've been developed over the past four years by Dutch breeders De Wintertuin, which appropriately means 'Winter Garden', and are available in the UK from your local florist or garden centre this summer.

If a splash of pink is a bit too much for your more neutral landscape, in addition to the classic magenta, hardy bougainvillea are also available in orange and red, with some yellow and white plants available, too.

Web Links

Flowers & Plants Association: www.flowers.org.uk

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