What to do with an unruly bougainvillea?  Strap it to a trellis.

What to do if you don’t have a trellis?  Build one!

To keep the bougainvillea from falling into the fish pond, Carrie built us a trellis.  And she let me dig the holes for the concrete footings.

Carrie translated this sketch

into the finished product you see below.

Note the appropriately compliant shrub.

And the appropriately attentive lizard.

The larger frame members are four by fours.  The horizontal lattice pieces are made from metal pipe painted black.  All the wood is stained the same Rosewood color as the fence.