Spring is here, but with it's cool temperatures and delightful bright green hue sprinkled everywhere. Sadly, it won't last. The greenness of spring quickly turns to the scorching summer in Texas, as a pall of colorless demise creeps across the expansive hills and valleys. The brown withered grass will be with us through the winter until spring storms once again infuse life into the land. But, as long as it lasts, we will enjoy the fruits of spring, and in Texas that means means the blooming of the wildflowers.
It seems that so many places have a flower for which they claim a certain amount of pride. Washington DC holds a festival for their lovely cherry blossoms and Seattle carefully cultivates fields of colorful tulips. In Texas, our hearts belong to the wildflowers-flowers that could essentially be considered weeds that just sprout up without any nurturing or special consideration. Even our state flower is a simple bluebonnet that multiplies in carpets of blue whether anyone cares for them or not. Spring comes and the flowers thrive, and Texans everywhere swell with pride (as only a Texan can) as the vibrant patchwork paints the land.
This special connection to the wildflowers that dot our medians and farm field isn’t just about simple beauty, but the spirit the wildflowers represent. These are hardy and rugged flowers, with no needs other than the space to grow. They are a reminder of the ancestors who settled and tamed our homeland and the tiny bit of their spirit that lives on in us. It is a spirit of no holds barred, no rules followed, bloom where you’re planted and grow wild and free. That’s why you will see all rightly constructed Texans carting their kids out into fields of flowers to take pictures. It’s not just pictures, its patriotism. Long may it, and the spirit of the wildflowers, live.
~Today I am linking up with Budget Travelers Sandbox and R We There Yet Mom~
Alas I'm still waiting for a bit of green to show in my garden. I was out raking today, looking for signs of spring…when a snow squall blew me indoors. Beautiful photos. When flowers last such a short time I think you enjoy them even more.
The variety of colours in Texas wildflowers is amazing. How happy it must make everyone feel to see such beautiful sights. Spring is my favourite season to travel in. We don't really have Spring where we live.
Wonderful reminder that spring. . .and summer!. . . .can't be far away. Beautiful flowers and photos.
Ahhh, the flowers are gorgeous!
We're coming out of the dry season here. It's lovely to see the grass slowly turning green again.
Spring is great for all the color that comes with it! Flowers just make me feel happy. I live in California and we're the same. The beautiful colors of spring will soon be replaced with dry grass which in its own way is beautiful too.
The bluebonnet shot is great. I've been on the road since late January, heading north from Tierra del Fuego, and am really enjoying the wild flowers along the way.
I love the photos that I have seen of Texas wildflowers! Our crocuses are just starting to pop their heads out of the cold, hard ground – may be a while yet before we see flowers blooming!
I grew up in a place where by far the most common wild flowers are yellow…I love places where the palate is a bit more varied!
I'm missing my Central Texas home this time of the year. Driving from Austin to Houston for Easter, we always had the added joy of looking at wildflowers along the road. That last shot of yours is my favorite — so colorful! Thanks for giving me a little glimpse of home.
I had a colleague who was from Texas who told me he could always tell when a movie that took place in Texas wasn't filmed in Texas because the seens would be missing the wildflowers .