Sherree Tales

Last week I sent a picture of my “candy corn” bros. I heard back from one of you that “Bros are very hard to grow....at least I've found it so.” I wanted to write back and say, “Please don’t tell me that. I have hundreds of bros and they get no care from me at all.” Then I remembered a lesson from my mother. I had been trying to get a bougainvillea to bloom with no success. When I complained to my mother that I was at my wits end, she asked what I had done to the bougainvillea. I said I gave it the best of care, planted it in almost pure cow manure, watered it often, and made sure nothing bothered it. My mother said, “…and that’s why it won’t bloom. Bougainvilleas like neglect; almost to the point of abuse.” She asked me to think about where I had seen the most spectacular ones. I didn’t think long before I said the Keys. And mom said, “What kind of soil do they have in the Keys?” Sand. “And how many cows have you seen in the Keys?” None. “And how many water sprinklers do they have in most parts of the Keys?” None, water has to be piped from the mainland and is precious. My mom rested her case. Bougainvilleas like sandy, salty, arid conditions. I had done almost everything wrong trying to get mine to bloom. The lesson I learned is to pay attention to what the environment is like where the plant is in its native habitat. It’s not about having a green thumb. It’s about paying attention and creating friendly environments for your plants.

This is a picture of a native bromeliad. It’s growing on or by my fence. I did not plant or attach it. I don’t do anything for it. These things grow all over south Florida and require no care from us humans. So that’s what I give them; a place to live similar to what they would choose for themselves and nothing more.



To my friend who finds them difficult to grow I would say, “You probably give them more than they need. You probably take great care of them in a way that makes them weak.” I know there is a lesson in there about how we take care of each other.



Have a great weekend.