Plumbs and Bougies

Plumbs and Bougies Bougainvillea Varieties from the Bougainvillea Cebu Extravaganza 2020 available for those who wish to start a collection.

26/03/2026

Garden project update.
Behind the scenes

26/03/2026

Pergola dreams
for the lanai.

25/03/2026

Love this !

For an upcoming project
08/03/2026

For an upcoming project

a detailed technical illustration, presented in a style reminiscent of vintage DIY manuals or architectural guides. It outlines various "Metodos para Armar las Plataformas" (Methods for Assembling Platforms) for treehouses.
The graphic focuses on how to structuralize wooden frames around living trees of different shapes and sizes.

1. VISUAL LAYOUT AND STYLE
• Art Style: A clean, instructional watercolor or digital painting style with clear linework.
• Language: The text and labels are in Spanish.
• Color Palette: Natural tones—greens for foliage, browns for bark, and light tan for the unfinished lumber.
• Components: The image is divided into four main structural examples, each accompanied by a "top-down" blueprint diagram showing dimensions and hole placements for the tree trunks.

2. DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF THE METHODS

TOP LEFT: THE TWO-TRUNK SPAN
This design shows a rectangular platform suspended between two straight, vertical evergreen trees.
• The Frame: Uses two main support beams bolted to the trunks, with perpendicular joists creating the floor frame.
• Dimensions: The diagram shows a 40" x 23" footprint.
• Detail: A small square opening labeled "Escofillon" (hatch/trapdoor) is included for access.

TOP RIGHT: THE MULTI-BRANCH V-SHAPE
This method demonstrates how to build a platform within a single tree that splits into multiple large branches.
• The Frame: The joists are irregular to accommodate the "V" shape of the branches.
• Dimensions: The corresponding diagram shows a 15" x 18" section with circular cutouts for three distinct branches.

CENTER LEFT: MEASUREMENT AND PREPARATION
A small inset illustration shows a person on a ladder using a level or measuring tool to determine the height and horizontal plane between two branches. This emphasizes the importance of leveling before construction begins.

BOTTOM RIGHT: THE CANTILEVERED/BRACED PLATFORM
This is the most complex structural example shown. It features a platform built around a central trunk and one auxiliary branch.
• Key Components:
• Vigas 2 x 6 y Armazon: The main 2 x 6 beams and framework.
• Esfuerzo Diagonal 3 x 4: A diagonal knee brace (3 x 4) that transfers the weight of the outer edge back to the main trunk.
• Soporte de Cable: A cable support for a "free end" where a branch might not be available for bolting.
• Abertura de Escopillon: A large trapdoor opening.

3. TECHNICAL LABELS AND TERMINOLOGY
The diagram uses specific construction terms to guide the builder:
• Viga: Beam or Joist.
• Claro: Clearance (specifically noting a 2" gap around the trunk to allow for tree growth).
• Esfuerzo Diagonal: Diagonal brace or strut.
• Escofillon: A trapdoor or hatch.

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08/03/2026

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A bougainvillea that does not flower in spring almost always has the same history: too much water, too much fertilizer, and a pruning that never quite happened.

Bougainvillea flowers on the current season's new wood, not on old branches. For that new wood to emerge with force and loaded with color, the plant needs two things in March: controlled water stress and a pruning pass that removes everything that is not going to produce.

The March stimulus pruning works like this:

Remove all thin, weak, or crossing branches with no clear place in the plant's main framework. Cut the previous season's lateral shoots back to three to four buds from their base. Leave the main guide branches completely untouched — these are the structural arms that carry everything else. Also leave intact any branch that produced bracts last year.

Do not fertilize until you can see new buds breaking. Nitrogen applied too early drives leaf growth at the expense of flowers.

The detail that changes the result: from March until the first new shoots appear, water only when the soil has been dry for two to three days. Controlled drought is the most effective flowering trigger this plant has. A bougainvillea that is kept slightly dry in March does not need to be coaxed into flowering in May — it does it on its own.

March stress is May color. That is the whole system.

🌺 Regional note: in zones 9 to 11 (Southern California, Arizona, South Texas, Florida), prune in early to mid March. Container growers in colder zones who overwinter indoors should prune when moving the plant back outside after last frost — typically late April to May depending on your zone.

25/02/2026

Garden Project.
Latest attraction in Camiguin.

Bougies to look forward to...
08/02/2026

Bougies to look forward to...

Now an airy, bright and light abode.UPVC ceiling,Opened space, andUpdated front yard.
06/01/2026

Now an airy, bright and light abode.
UPVC ceiling,
Opened space, and
Updated front yard.

23/10/2025

Oh yes they do so...

23/10/2025

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