I don’t have a pretty picture of my Bougainvillea to show you. It’s leafless and bare – a victim of Houston’s winter storm. I never covered up my plants for a hard freeze before, saying something like, “survival of the fittest” to myself. Even if I had learned that yes, a hard freeze will indeed kill your plants, I wouldn’t have covered up the Bougainvillea. I probably bought it outside Kroger’s for 12$ over 10 years ago. It traveled from one porch to another with me to find it’s place here, in the front corner of my front yard, along the wrought iron fence, planted in the ground – a key point of my landscape. It provided beauty with it’s blooms and security with its thorns. I hear bougainvilleas bloom under stress – so I guess I assumed it was indestructible. Despite the negligence I offered in exchange for its protection and brilliance, it was a shock to see it not re-emerge with green this spring. It was one of the few constants in my life – even in death it provides a thorny warning to intruders…..and will be sorely missed.

Take care of what is important to you – but first, decide what is important to you.

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