This bougainvillea always makes me think of my mom and how she taught me so much about gardening but how different our styles were. This was the one plant I had that had established itself to add some color and help cover the fence for my wedding. I came home from some errands to find my mom with the pruners hacking away at this bush, cuts up to her elbows from the thorns, and her being totally proud of her accomplishments. She was so pleased with her work that I couldn’t tell her that I was horrified. We just blotted her scrapes and had a wedding. Now these plants are twice her height and they bring me many happy memories about her goals for a more manicured garden and, undoubtedly, more manicured children. 🌺🌸