Marking Time with Bluebonnets

My Daddy was born in 1914 in Grit, Texas.  He grew up in Boerne, TX, in the Hill Country.  Daddy loved bluebonnets and Indian Paint and the many other wildflowers of the region.

Daddy married my mother in 1959, and they made a life here on the family farm in Mississippi, with yearly trips back to Daddy's beloved Texas.

Growing up, I heard Daddy's annual lament, "I wish we could grow bluebonnets here in Mississippi, but bluebonnets just won't grow east of the Mississippi River.

He certainly tried to grow bluebonnets. Year after year, failure after failure, Daddy and Mama planted bluebonnet seed, almost every year of their marriage. "Maybe this year......" 

A few years after Daddy died in 1991, I brought a flat of bluebonnet plants from Texas back to the farm.  One little plant survived, and it produced one puny little bluebonnet bloom.  I wish Daddy could have seen that miracle bloom!  We have a picture of it somewhere, pre-digital.

My Daddy's sister, Tyra, lived in Eagle Lake, Texas, just a few doors down the street from the Thomas family who pioneered a new way of planting and harvesting wildflower seed. 

John R. Thomas had a turf seeding business, based in Eagle Lake.  He saw the need for and the opportunity in producing wildflower seed, so he developed the machinery that would plant and harvest the itty bitty wildflower seeds.  That was in the early 1980's. 

The resulting Wildseed Farms today cultivates 800 acres of wildflower seed around Eagle Lake and another 200 acres of wildflowers at their headquarters in Fredricksburg, TX, also in the Hill Country.  Their website says they cultivate 88 varieties of wildflower seed.

Because of Aunt Tyra's connection to the Thomas family, I grew up hearing all about Texas wildflowers and the business of wildflower seed. 

Did you know that because of Lady Byrd Johnson, every state receives money each year to plant wildflower seed in the medians of the Interstates that criss-cross that state?

Goodness knows, we have bought many a pound of wildflower seed from Wildseed Farms to plant on this farm in Mississippi.  Their seed is superior!

These beautiful photos of precious children in a bluebonnet field are from a friend in Mississippi.  Her grandbabies live in Texas.  (I won't name these little treasures or where they live because of the evil pedophiles who troll the Internet.  Just call me overly-protective of little tykes.)  These are copyrighted photos, posted here with permission.

Every year, my friend's family treks to the nearest bluebonnet field for their annual photos.  What a marvelous way to capture the growth of these little princesses each year! I hope they remember their annual playtime in the bluebonnets when they grow up.

Can you imagine having such a fabulous photo background?  I wonder if the family makes their Christmas cards or Easter cards from these annual pictures.  I could certainly see a calendar company wanting to use any of these pictures for the month of April (or should it be March)?

Hubby Gordon grew up in Texas.  He takes bluebonnets for granted as does anyone who can see the vivid purple-blue blooms blanket the countryside near where they live.

When my mother had a stroke in 2004, a friend in Texas sent her a fresh bouquet of stunning bluebonnets! I'll email this friend and ask her to share the name of the company that will ship fresh bluebonnets.  Somewhere I have the business card, but I could not find it with a cursory search.

When Gordon and I married in 2003, I sculpted a Bluebonnet porcelain Christmas ornament and Bluebonnet brooch in homage to Daddy and Gordon...the two larger-than-life men in my life from larger-than-life Texas. 

Comments

[Tracey]

Aaagh! OK, I know this post is really old, but you have me longing to see and smell fresh bluebonnets again. I'm a native Texan who now lives in east TN, and I haven't had much luck with bluebonnets either. Like the commenter before me, I found this page by googling for fresh bluebonnets, because I too am getting married in the wrong season for them and far from home. (We're planning a fall wedding and I actually tried to convince my fiancé to move the date up six months to facilitate bluebonnets... no, I'm not a bridezilla at all...) If there is, to your knowledge, a florist who can help me get fresh bluebonnets or a gardener who can help me to grow them for when the time comes, please, please pass along any advice you may have to the email address below.

Also, browsing through the more recent entries in your blog is making me homesick. I hope you and your family are well.

[kayte]

My only daughter is marring in August in Arizona where she is attending school. We are having an open house here in San Antonio. I am just beginning my search for fresh cut bluebonnets (or potted or...just REAL and at the wrong season, I know). My search gave me lines from here , "I'll email this friend and ask her to share the name of the company that will ship fresh bluebonnets. Somewhere I have the business card, but I could not find it with a cursory search." HELP! Please.
Many, many thanks.

[Penny]

Hello Bruce Taylor! You have a great question there, but since I've never succeeded in growing bluebonnets here in Mississippi, I can't help you about gathering seed. If you call Wildseed Farms (1-800-848-0078), they will be very happy to answer your questions. We have called them on numerous occasions with questions, and every time, they have been patient and knowledgeable! You might want to email them : orders1(at)wildseedfarms(dot)com
Fondly,
Penny

[Penny]

Thanks, Fiona and Anina. I'll share your praise of the photos with my friend who actually took them.

Kallen, I agree completely with you! You expressed it perfectly! Somewhere I read that "the Earth is like a giant Hallmark Card from God." Wish I knew who originally said that, but it is true in my heart that the variety of beautiful natural things on Earth is God's way of blessing us every day (if we just take a moment to see the beauty around us).

[Bruce Taylor]

How can I tell when bluebonnet seed pods are mature enough for harvest before they burst open and scatter the seed? My dad want to harvest some seed from his bluebonnets, but we don't want to pull the pods too early.

[Bruce Taylor]

My dad wants to harvest some seed from his bluebonnets. Of course if we wait too late, the pods will burst and we'll lose the seed. How can we tell when the pods are mature in time to pick them before they burst open?

[kallen1105]

I live in Texas... go through Eagle Lake every weekend on our way to our land in Hallettesville, Texas... I can attest that during this time of year there is no question in my mind that God exist with such beautiful wildflowers especially the bluebonnet... here in Texas... Thanks for sharing photos and websites... I've been wanting to get a patch of bluebonnets going myself...

[Anina]

Those photos are beautiful. They make me want to visit Texas and take photos.

[Fiona]

What beautiful photos of the flowers and the children. What a lovely blue.....