Bougainvillea and petrea planted together make a great team and create a dramatic impact with their colourful display.   They are ideal shrub mates as they come into flower at exactly the same time.

Here is a lovely corner in my garden where bougainvillea and petrea are blooming together.

Both these shrubs like a position in full sun so they are perfect planting mates.  But best of all, they come into flower at exactly the same time in spring.  And they certainly give a glorious display with their mountains of red and purple flowers side by side.

Many gardeners are hesitant about planting these prolific shrubs as they think they are too overbearing for smaller gardens.  But it’s a pity to lose out on such a dramatic show of colour as these two shrubs can give you. So here are a few tips to help you keep them beautiful but under control.

Grow Large Shrubs in Containers

Luckily these strong shrubs can be heavily pruned back to the size that is most suitable for your garden. In fact they can also be grown in containers which will automatically restrict the size of the plant to something much more manageable.

Here is a red bougainvillea that has been growing in a container for about six years and as you can see it is still very manageable. Even though bougainvilleas are notoriously rampant growers, I haven’t had to prune it back because the pot is keeping it in shape.

You can always try these climbers in pots first to check their habit of growth.  Then if you would prefer a more dramatic show you can transfer them to the garden proper.

Submerge pots under the ground

Here’s a tip for you if you prefer a more natural look for your garden without containers but still want to control the growth of your climbers: simply plant your climbers in their respective pots and submerge these under the ground till you can’t see the rim of the pot.

Then water as usual.  In this way the rampant growth of these climbers will be restricted and they will never grow wildly out of control.

I have had success with both these shrubs at the coast and inland so I have found them to be suitable for most climates.

Do write and tell me about your own experiences with bougainvillea and petrea in your garden.