A Step-by-Step Guide to Propagating Bougainvillea from Cuttings with Ease

Cut a stem about 4” to 6” below blooms. Remove most of the leaves leaving only a few below the blooms.  Place in a vase and enjoy the flowers wherever you want for a few days. I like to use something clear so I can see the progress.

*You do not have to use a cutting with blooms. I just enjoy having the cheerful flowers inside.

Then place the vase in bright light, but not direct sunlight. I use a south facing window. Room temperature need to be seventies to eighties.  Change the water every three days. In two weeks or less, you should see little roots starting to develop.

At three to four weeks, it should have enough roots to place into soil. This one only took about seven weeks from cutting to blooming! They are not always that quick, so be patient.

* I used Mircle Gro  a week after I put it in soil. 

That’s it! So easy!

Happy Gardening!

How to Have a Tropical Garden in a Non-Tropical Zone - Arkansas

                                                                                                     (Photo: early Summer)
I love to travel and have big dreams of living in a tropical location one day, but until then I will make my paradise in Arkansas.

                                                                                                   (Photo: mid-summer)

This is my fifth year having a "tropical" garden in Arkansas (border of zone 7b & 8a). Let's start with just facing the facts though, you cannot have true tropical plants lower than zone 10. So how do I have a tropical garden? Lots of creativity and thought. Many different plants have come and gone over the years.

                                                                                                                 (Photo:early summer)

The first step is to find cold hardy plants and trees that look tropical but are cold tolerant. The key to a tropical look is something with large colorful leaves. If you can't spot the plant from across the garden center, it is not going to work. 😀 Think of the flowers on the plant as a bonus and just look at the foliage.

Some of my cold tolerant trees and plants:

                                                                                                               (Photo: early Summer)
Loquat tree 

Hardy from zone 7-10
Medium growth rate
Looks very tropical
Does not require much care
Some of the leaves turn yellow and fall off in the hot summer no matter how much you water it!

                                                                                                        (Photo: mid Summer) 

Windmill  Palm Tree

Cold tolerant down to zone 7
The snow doesn't seem to bother them here.
This is the only palm that I have found to survive the winters here.
Put a little slow release fertilizer on them in spring for extra growth. They will do fine without it.

                                                                                                (Photo: early to mid Summer)
Banana Trees

Three varieties of cold hardy banana tress grow here: Musa basjoo, Musella lasiocarpa or dwarf banana, and Musa velutina. All will die completely back to the ground in the winter, but will put up new trees from the roots in the spring. The stem will live if you cut it back and wrap in the fall.

                                                                                                            (Photo: mid Summer)
Cyperus Alternifolius Plant  (Umbrella Palm)

Hardy to zone 7
Easy care
Dies back to the ground in the winter, but returns with vigor
   and will grow to about six feet by then end of summer
Clumping

                                                                                                                      (Photo: early Summer)
Lily Turf

Hardy to zone 5
Easy care
Fairly drought tolerant, I only have to water occasionally

                                                                                                       (Photo: late spring)
                                                     
Canna Lily

Hardy to zone 7 or more
They come is many colors, flowers and foliage
Die back to ground in winter
I fight with leaf rollers all spring and summer on these, but they are worth it.

                                                                                                                     (Photo: early Summer)
Hardy Hibiscus

Some are cold tolerant to zone 4
They die back in the winter and put out new growth in the spring.
Insects love them
If it's a really humid summer, mine get a black mold/fungus on them sometimes.

Ginger

Most hard ginger grow in 7 - 10

I have peach, white, and a variegated. All multiply like crazy without any care other than an occasional watering.

                                                                                                         
Calla Lily

Cold tolerant to zone 8, but they do fine here
Available in many colors
Bloom in spring only

Bougainvillea

Hardy to zone 9. With that being said, I do have these in the ground and they come back without being mulched for me.

                                                                                                                (Photo: late spring)
Quick Fire Hydrangea

Hardiness Zones 3a - 8b
Bloom out white then turn pink

                                                                                              (Photo: early summer) Pineapple Lily

Hardy to zone 8, but they do fine in the ground here

                                                                                                             (Photo: late spring)

Bush Clematis

Hardy 3b-7b
They are a little picky about the heat here. They don't look great by the end of summer.

Variegated Yucca

Hardy to -30 to -35 Fahrenheit (-34 to -37 C.)

                                                                                                                    (Photo: late spring)

Next, if you are like me, you will find the cold tolerant plants didn't quite give that resort feel you were looking for, so you go for the true topicals. I fell in love with Aechmea blanchetiana bromelaids (the big orange ones) my first trip to the Florida Keys. They are not easy to find for sale, even in Florida. I finally found a lady selling them from her yard and got one. Since then, I have order different kinds from Florida Nurseries and Puerto Rico. I feel like these bromeliads have made the biggest impact in the garden. They are fairly easy to grow and are easy to move indoors in the winter. I am writing a post on their care soon and will share the link here when I post. My mother lives next door, so I can put most of my plants in there. Some of them I bring into my sunroom.

Some of my favorite tropicals: 

                                                                                                                (Photo: early summer)
Aechmea blanchetiana bromelaids

Aechmea blanchetiana bromelaid and Neoregelia Petra bromeliad

                                                                                                                               (Photo: early summer)
Aechmea Blanchetiana 'Lemonade'

Neoregelia  Maria Bromeliad

The bromeliads are in pot in the ground. I just move the mulch back, loosen the pot, and take them inside for the winter.

Orchids

Purple Turmeric

Pineapple plant

These can easily be grown from a pineapple purchased at the store. Just cut the top off and plant in a pot. I put the pot in the ground for the summer.

Coleus

Coleuses are one of my favorite ways to add a huge pop of color. They can easily be rooted from cuttings and carried inside for the winter.

Lastly, add accents that give the feel you want. My taste is a mix between Florida and Bali (with a few other counties thrown in). 😁 Don't be afraid to mix looks! It's your garden and if it makes you happy, use it!

My garden decor: Planters, torches, statues, bamboo wind chimes, bird baths, and lanterns

Fertilizers

I use a slow release fertilizer in the spring and again in the middle of summer. In addition to that, I use liquid Miracle Gro every two weeks during the middle of the summer when it’s so hot and humid. This may sound like way too much, but the plants get so stressed and need these extra nutrients. Crazy, I know, but it helps! On the banana trees, I add about a tablespoon of Epsom salt to the fertilizer mixture once a month or when they look  a little yellow and wilted. This is just what works for where I live and will need to be adjusted for your area.

The plants listed above are just some of the many in my garden. If you see something that I didn't mention and have a question, just ask. 😊 Hope you get inspired to create your own paradise! 

Happy Gardening! 


*Link to blog post two years ago to see more plants
https://www.livelifebehappytravel.com/2017/07/tropical-garden-in-arkansas.html

* Updated garden tour post

2020  Garden Tour here

2021   Garden Tour here

Growing Bougainvillea Indoors: Is it a Good Idea?

June 30, 2017

Can Bougainvillea be grown inside your house? Yes. Do I recommend doing this? Well, maybe.

June 1, 2017

I purchased two beautiful pink bougainvillea plants from Lowes in the spring. They grew like crazy over the summer in pots on my porch. They were so pretty!

In November, when I brought all of the non-hardy tropical plants inside, I did not bring these in. I was tired of the dealing with them! The thorns are massive (up to 2 inches) and I had been stabbed all summer trying the keep the vines somewhat confined to the porch columns.

Well about the middle of December, after several freezes on them, they were still blooming. I could not stand to leave them out any longer. So, I brought them inside.

At first, I loved them inside. They were placed in a south window to get sun. Most the leaves fell off from the move, but the brachts and flowers stayed on. Within three weeks, they almost completely covered the windows. By the end of January, after several trimmings, they were covering the windows again. They grew and bloomed like crazy without any special care. I watered them two to three times a week and cleaned up all the mess from the blooms weekly.

I have to admit that I loved looking at the snow covered yard through a window of bright pink vines.

The First week of February was my breaking point! The vines were strangling my mango tree, bird of paradise, and anything else they could reach. It was time for them to go!

Armed with long sleeves, gloves, and clippers, the fight was on! The poor mango tree was mangled a little from removing the vines, but everything went pretty smoothly.

I think all the other plants were glad to see them gone! They had actually stared to lean away from the window because they were getting more light from the ceiling fixture.

So, should you grow bougainvillea inside? If you don’t mind these things:

1. A constant mess from the old leaves and flowers falling off. There will be a lot!

2. The soil does dry out quickly and require frequent watering, even in the winter.

3. The vines have a ton of long thorns! They will need to be placed so as not to cause injury to passersby.

4. You may need to prune them routinely.

I have read so many stories about people having trouble getting their plants to grow and flower. I found them to be aggressive and easy to grow inside and out in my zone 7b – 8a. I still think they are extremely beautiful plants, but I’m not sure if I even want them outside anymore. The pots are stilling on my porch now and still have leaves and look great. I might put them in the ground and see how they overwinter outside next year. Maybe…

  Happy Gardening! 

My New Orchid Haul: A Peek into My Latest Collection

I just wanted to do a quick post and let everyone know about the beautiful orchids I found today.

Walmart was putting them out as I walked into the garden center. They have a variety of colors, but each store only has about 12 plants. The best part is that they are only $ 9.99!

I am absolutely in love with these beauties!

If you would like to see more of my "jungle" sun room or get updates on my cold hardy tropical garden, leave a comment and I will do more post. 😊




Happy Gardening!