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Bougainvillea
These plants are instantly recognizable in the gardens of NNTG for they are the foremost plant used to colour the landscape. They are commonly seen in colours ranging from purple to lavender, red to pink and orange to yellow and also white. They encompass a broad colour spectrum and are equally diverse with their many patterned foliage types that comprise variegated white and yellow cream. Bougainvilleas originated in South America and are naturally a ramplant and domewhat spiny climber. Gradually with the expansion of the British Empire , plants were brought out to countries in Africa , India , Australia and some Asian countries by settlers making their way out of Europe . In NNTG these plants are kept regularly pruned of their thorns and are grafted onto woody rootstocks to dwarf the plant. Usually container grown, they can be transported to any point of the gardens and are use to bring bright colour to an area. Amazingly the flowers is not showy, instead it is the colourful bract, a specialized leaf that surrounds the flower that is responsible. The flowers are quite small and insignificant, and in some cultivars, the so called double-bracted or Mahara types don't even have flowers. |
