I received a few bougainvillea plants as a gift this past spring and have had a beautiful summer with them. But, with the cold weather coming on, I'm wondering how to handle them. Are they supposed to last through the winter or do I have new plants to look forward to buying next year?

I have seen them live through the winter and come back after freezing to the ground in well prepared, high compost soil and lots of mulch. However, remember we are looking at a pretty hard winter so don't get your heart too set on them coming back. They are beautiful when they are really blooming!