help idenitfying this lovely pink plant

Hi

I recently got back from Sicily and this plant was growing every where, i'm sure i've seen it in the UK and I'd love to have it in my garden, can anyone tell me what it is?

The flowers come in pink, peach and orange.

 

Yes sorry about that, I had to reduce the file size and managed to make the picture tiny too.

It is bougainvillea! Thanks, would it be wise to put this in my garden? I have some trelis separating my grassed area from the drive and i'd like something to grown on it so I dont have to look at the car when I'm in the garden.

 

ahh i see. Am I correct in saying that I have seen them growing in the UK? Maybe I haven't.

 

They are generally sold as pot plants. I suppose it's possible to plant out during the frost free months, but then there's the hassle of bringing it back under cover for the colder months, bearing in mind that the root-ball and the plant itself will have grown considerably.

 

Thanks, digging it up might be a pain. Hmm think I need to move to a hotter climate I love Bird of Paradise and have seen these growing wild abroad, but I doubt they'd survive in my garden.

 

I've lived in hot countries and had these around. For a less extreme option than moving abroad, take a 'planty' trip abroad. I highly recommend going to/via Singapore for a taste of the tropics and 'exotic' countries. They have a mild tropical climate, immaculate civic planting, e.g. trimmed bougainvillia between carriageways of roads, and a truely great botanic gardens with a nice book shop attached. I use '1001 garden plants of Singapore' as my tropical/subtropical ornamental plant reference book.

Hawaii and Florida's botanic gardens are on my dream travel destination list.

 

@pete has both BOP and Bougie growing outdoors!

 

Yep, you can grow Bougie and Strelitzia outside in the UK, but you need to be prepared to look after them during the winter months, its not easy, but possible.
I have four large sized flowers about to open on the BoP in the next couple of weeks.

The Bougie is just budding up and should flower from August till first frost.