Meet Nell Foster, the gardening lover who turned her passion into a living. Her years of first-hand experience led to a deep love for bougainvilleas.
Her journey with bougainvillea began in 2006 when she purchased a house in Santa Barbara, CA (USDA zone 10B). The property came with two very large and established bougainvilleas. Pruning these plants was quite an adventure, and when in full bloom, they became the undeniable stars of the garden. You can see one of them growing up and over her garage in the photo above.
In 2016, she moved to the Arizona Desert (USDA zone 9a), where her passion for bougainvillea continued. She bought a home with three existing bougainvilleas and decided to add two more in containers. This new environment presented its own challenges (one of them being freeze damage), allowing her to expand her understanding of these vibrant plants.
While she's researched bougainvillea, most of her knowledge stems from conversations with growers and, most importantly, hands-on experience. Through years of growing and caring for bougainvillea, she's gained insights that only come from practical, hands-on involvement with these beautiful plants. And because most bougainvilleas have thorns, she's gotten a few scratches along the way!
Nell has bundled her knowledge into the Bougainvillea Tutorial Package to help gardening enthusiasts grow and nurture these beautiful, colorful plants.