Bougainvillea is the perfect thing to plant for a gorgeous burst of colour at home. This stunning, low maintenance plant is fast growing and incredibly easy to look after. Known for its prolific purplish pink flowers, this vine is drought resistant and native to South America but grows well in sunny gardens.

The RHS says these climbing vines can be planted directly into borders, or grown in containers which can be grown outside in the summer but need to be kept frost free. If you provide a trellis for it to grow up, this stunning plant will quickly form a canopy which can provide dappled shade in the summer as well as a stunning feature for a patio or garden. 

If you plant them into the ground, make sure that it’s in a well drained and sunny spot as the roots of this plant do not like to stay soggy.

They need to be watered deeply and frequently when first planted, but, once established, bougainvillea plants are drought-tolerant.

If you decide to plant in a container, it is essential that the planter has drainage to allow excess water out.

Timing is also essential when it comes to bougainvillea, as watering it too late in the day can lead to fungal diseases as the foliage will stay wet for too long.

This stunning climbing vine can also be vulnerable to insects such as aphids and mealy bugs which can hamper new growth on the plant.

Luckily, these are pretty easy to deal with. Aphids can be blasted off your plants with a garden house, and mealybugs can be removed by pruning off the affected shoots.

Mealybugs are easy to see as they have waxy and white oval bodies that will be visible on your plants. 

While bougainvillea is fast growing and low maintenance it does require full sunlight - at least six hours a day.