Beating up the bougainvillea

It is said that the best way to get your bougainvillea to flower is to snap off branches and beat around the bush with them. This form of plant abuse apparently brings out the best in it, and the rewards are splendiferous. I remember from my youth that a neighbour in Clovelly got magnificent results from this treatment which we all enjoyed in the view from our lounge (the flowers, not the beating).

I have never had any success with these showy climbers, but every so often try again. When we first moved here, I planted a rampant-growth variety on the south side of the house, where we seldom go, and it is no exaggeration to say that I never ever watered it and definitely didn't feed it, so neglect was the order of the day. It seemed to thrive, as on the rare occasions that I looked in its direction, its growth was both rampant and heading for the top of our double storey. But never once did it flower.

It eventually grew taller than the house and the southeaster gave it a natural beating against the house, causing vast amounts of twigs and even thicker branches to be snapped off. These bear the most vicious thorns and as we have started to use the area in the last few years, and I never wear shoes at home or in the garden, I have done quite a bit of tap-dancing when being spiked by them. The only solution is to wear gardening gloves and pick up every single twig and burn them in the braai - an ongoing task now that the bougainvillea is so huge.

It was only last year that I started to notice the bright pink flowers (bracts) scattered in the garden after a strong wind and a walk up the road revealed that I do in fact, have a magnificent bougainvillea. The only problem is that it has grown completely across a large section of the roof and is invisible to us. At least the neighbours up the road and on the hillside can enjoy it!.