Me too, Cheryl. I have bought many live ones and tried to keep them going in the garden. Eventually they look very scraggly, or die off and are never seen again. It seems like such a waste to me. So I bought a really nice silk one that I put out every December, enjoy a lot then store away. It has been going strong for at least 5 years. That's a good value, and not a dead plant to me.
This year I got a nursery gift certificate as a gift, and treated myself to this nice variegated bougainvillea. It is now out on the front porch with a big red bow on it, looking very festive alongside the fake Poinsettia.
