Maryl, maybe your neighbor is a curse..LOL j/k
Bougs are succulents plants, but in hot/sunny weather needs good waterings, though soil shouldn't remain wet.
Is your boug growing outdoors or in the house?
The flowers could have been hanging on a long time, nearing the time to drop..did they look faded when u bought the plant?
How about fertilizing? Have you fertilized? Though I wouldn't say they need a lot, they do need to be fed during growing season.
It's true Bougs need good light, especially if you want them to bloom. I can't speak for OK, since I've never been there, but once mine are set outside, they're placed in a southern exposure..I would suggest your boug needs a minimum of 4 hours direct sun, then bright the remainder of the day..keep an eye on the plant to see how it's handling the light...and please do so gradually..if you set in direct sun all at once it will burn. If it's outside now, it's already adapting to brighter light..
BTW, have you changed anything, like repotting? new soil? Toni

My Bougainvillea is in a large pot on a trellis. I keep it in the hottest, sunniest spot in my yard and allow it to go dry between waterings. It's doing great. Most of the bracts from the first flush have fallen but I'm getting lots of new growth and the tips of the branches are coloring up. I've given it an all purpose fertilizer once a month. This is the first one that I've grown but so far so good.
Karyn

I had kept mine overwinter in a heated greenhouse. The plant put on 6' of rampant growth, and even with constant pinching, the boug still stayed in a vegetative growth state. I took it home once the nights had warmed up a bit and braced it against my south-facing porch. I have the pot arranged so that the soil doesn't get heated by the sun but the foliage is in full sun for at least 6 hours a day. After only two weeks of warm weather my plant is already covered with developing bracts. This species can take its fair share of abuse and actually seems to do better when I forget a watering or two everyone few weeks.
Peace,
Nate

I'm so sorry I didn't thank all you nice people for your responses before now. I thought I had checked the box for any answers to come to my e-mail address. In fact when I didn't get any responses I thought: "well gee, no one even knows how to get a common "B" to flower? What kind of tropical forum is this?". So thanks so much for trying to help. My Bourgainvillea is hanging outside btw, and I cut it back after all the bracts fell off and moved it to a total all day sun position. This is not a solution as it's not a display area and there is no full sun display area in my yard for a hanging basket B. It's put on some new growth since the move, so we will see if it will set flowers and then I can move it back to it's eastern exposure. That's my plan anyway. Either the sun exposure or the neighbor may have to be changed.

Am hoping you all can help! I am so glad I found this website!

I have a flowering bougainvillea that was beautiful when I brought it home - loaded with pink/purplish flowers. I potted it in a large container with several holes in the bottom, and with a trellis and it was doing fine. It is in full desert sunlight all day. Well, the leaves and flowers looked droopy and my husband thought it needed more water so I've been watering it daily. It seemed to perk up after I did this. But now the flowers are starting to fade in color and both flowers and leaves are limp, and leaves are curling. On the site here I learned that they really prefer a drier soil. So, I'm wondering have I over-watered and that's why it's starting to droop and loose color? HELP! Thanks to all!

maryl, there is something seriously wrong with the GardenWeb email system. It is not trustworthy. Bummer.

sharkeye, you need to water thoroughly, then let the soil go dry before you water again. Stick your finger down into the soil and if it feels damp, wait. You can also use a freshly sharpened pencil - stick it down and if the wood near the point comes back wet, wait to water.

Limp leaves can be a sign of consistent overwatering. What happens is the roots rot, they can't take up water, so the leaves can't get water even though the soil is wet. Of course, limp leaves are also a sign of dry soil. That's why you really need to check the soil.

They are desert plants, so treat them that way. Good luck!

Boy can I identify with overwatering and root rot. Some plants are just so susceptible and the more you water them the more deadly it becomes. I didn't realize that B's liked it dry. As I said I don't know much about them - like fertilizer requirments, water requirements etc. I do notice some new bracts are beginning to form on mine, so maybe, like a lot of plants, they came from a greenhouse situation to a home situation and dropped their bracts in shock. Thanks watergirl.