[Midnight Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by aninjamom

I used to have a front yard with 4 oak trees, pretty much nothing would grow in the dry shade. I got a bromeliad as a gift, and in a few years had my whole front yard full! (Not in the Villages.) They grow, spread, and bloom, but easy to control. As long as they have some water in the center cup, they survive heat, drought, and deep shade.

Excellent suggestion!

Yes, the flowers last a long time, then die. But there are always a few pups produced on each plant when that happens. The only thing I would add to that is to not plant too many varieties -- only a few, perhaps, depending upon the size of the area to be covered. Otherwise, it can look like a hodge-podge.