Eighteen years ago I travelled the length of India from the deep south to the north photographing this most beautiful genus with its masses of blooms in a wide palette of colours. It was a fascinating journey for I met the great bougainvillea hybridizers, most notable among them, Dr. B.P. Pal who invited me to his home where he showed me many of his beautiful cultivars, Dr. S.C. Sharma of the Lucknow botanic Garden, who presented me with his book on bougainvilleas, Dr. M.S. Randhawa and many others. I also met scientists and horticulturists who were the directors of gardens where bougainvilleas featured prominently in the landscape.

The 'General Significance' as given by The Mother applies to all the colours in a specific genus. Yet she also often gave significances to the individual flower colours in a genus. Therefore we have a number of significances for bougainvilleas, ten to be exact, plus the 'General significance'.

Mother's has given bougainvilleas the significance 'Protection', the general Significance for all bougainvilleas:

Mother's comment"

"Let us give ourselves entirely and sincerely to the Divine and we shall enjoy His protection"

Bougainvilleas are divided into three major groups. They are:

Bougainvillea glabra – This species is ideal for container culture as the plants are compact and relatively dwarf.

Bougainvillea specto-glabra – These are larger plants that do best in the ground and offer massive displays of colour in their flowering season.

Bougainvillea spectabilis – These are the most vigorous of all and need a large area to grow and climb. Often they are seen cascading from huge trees, spilling over immense walls, etc.

Bougainvilleas have been worked upon profusely, especially in India, to create new colours and forms. Some seeds have been irradiated, others treated with colchicine, in addition to the usual methods of hybridization, resulting in cultivars with variegated leaves and bracts.(The 'flowers' of bougainvillea are small white, pale yellow or light green. What most people think of as the flower are the colourful bracts.

In subsequent blogs we will view all the colours that Mother named along with the comments that she gave for each. The comments are deeply revealing for those who wish to connect on a higher plane with flowers, learning their essential nature of aspiration and offering.

In my life I constantly experienced the protection of Sri Aurobindo and Mother and have been saved from numerous disasters by Their Grace, many of them life threatening.

I have spoken elsewhere about my experience in Hawaii but I think it would be good to write it here. We were in Hawaii studying and collecting plants for the Matrimandir Gardens. I was scheduled to meet with the Director of the Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden the following morning. It was a beautiful afternoon before the meeting and I thought it would be nice to swim in the clear blue and aqua waters but everywhere there were signs "Danger, Do not enter, strong riptides."

I finally found an area that looked calm and saw that there were no signs. The moment I entered the water a riptide took me far out and waves twenty-five feet and higher began crashing over me. I could not free myself from them as I was only a very average swimmer. I signalled to Mary Helen and she waved back thinking I was enjoying my swim. Then I put up my hands in the gesture for help. It felt as if my body could not last much longer I was so exhausted. I said to Mother, "If this is my last hour on earth i am grateful to you and Sri Aurobindo for the Grace and Blessings you have poured on me. May I remember you and offer at the last moment.

Mary Helen then saw that I was in distress and asked some surfers if they would rescue me. They went out on surf boards and brought me in. One of them almost drowned in saving me but I know that Mother saved him as well. There was no energy left in me and I simply crashed on the beach repeating Mother's name again and again in gratitude though I was unable to Keep my appointment the next morning.

Following are three of my photographs of white bougainvilleas, Integral Protection.

---