A Whole Field of Wildflowers For A Backyard

Yesterday, I took my young future photographer on a trip to look for wildflowers. We drove west of Seguin down Farm Road 467 and stopped when we spotted this yard. This house is located on the corner of FM 467 and a much smaller back road, so we pulled off the highway and parked on the side of the road. If you look very closely, you can see an old bicycle leaning against the side of the house, and a plastic white lawn chair in the yard.

We took several pictures and then we walked along the perimeter barb wire fence and took in the glory of several acres of Indian paintbrushes and some yellow wildflowers covering the field.

I can tell that the wildflower season is winding down, as far as photography opportunities go, because people are beginning to mow along the sides of the road, now. Also, we went to a rural church which has a 90 year old four-room school house on it's property, and they had also mowed their field.

Nonetheless, I will still try to go on a few more wildflower outings before they are all gone.

Beautiful Mystery Flower Stumps Photographer

Generally, when I decide to post photos of a flower, I do some research first. I identify the flower and learn a little about it, and share some of what I find with my readers. This little beauty has evaded all attempts to discover it's name.

I found it in a field of many different kinds of grasses and wildflowers, just south of Seguin, Texas.

It is only a few inches tall, and easily missed in a field of wildflowers because it is so tiny. If anyone recognizes it, please share what you know about it in the comment field. It would be greatly appreciated.

Storm Clouds Roll In

The Texas wildflower season is hit and miss for a photographer. A couple of years ago, it was pretty good. Last year, due to the drought, there were no flowers at all. This year, we have had lots of rain, and the flowers are incredible, but there are way too many days that are overcast or too cloudy for good light. So, this past week I have gotten out every chance I can get, to take my fill of flower shots before the blooms begin to wilt and die.

Today, Richard and I have a young friend visiting us, and I took him with me after I picked him up from school. I gave him a spare camera and we headed out to the same spot I have gone to many times. It is the field in front of some friends' home. There is a wonderfully rusty long, long shed that makes a fantastic background for the flower pictures.

As we drove in the direction of the field, we could see dark grey storm clouds moving in a line toward us, and by the time we reached our destination, the clouds were almost overhead.
With no other option other than returning home, we got out our cameras and began to film. Here are my two favorite shots.

I loved the clouds and the light was incredible.

Finding an Indian Blanket During the Texas Wildflower Season

Here are a couple of photos of the red and yellow Indian Blanket. I haven't seen hardly any in the fields and meadows yet, but I expect that more will bloom in the days to come. 

 As I have been driving along the central Texas highways and byways, I have thoroughly enjoyed the masses and masses of wildflowers that have bloomed this spring. We have been in the most terrible drought in living history, so last year, there were no flowers at all. There was hardly any grass, in fact.

Praise the Lord, Texas finally started to get some rain this fall, and by spring, we can almost forget the months and months of drought. This spring we are not taking the blooms for granted.

I hope you have been enjoying the different flowers I have been posting. Today, I am featuring  the red and yellow Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella). Once again, we get to look at another state's official state flower. The Indian Blanket is the state wildflower of Oklahoma. There are a couple of other names it goes by, the firewheel and the blanket flower.

Here is one of the fields I passed today. I love the rustic cedar fencing and the old and gnarled live oak tree.

Texas Toadflax on a Sunny Spring Day

Mixed in with the bluebonnets and indian paintbrushes, towering above the lowly phlox, the Texas toadflax waves in every breeze that passes. The lovely lavender or light blue blooms grow on long, slender spiky stalks that stand up to 32 inches tall.

Once again, as I walked carefully through the field of some sweet friends' ranch, a dog wandered past. This guy, a strong and noble pit bull, just looked at me from a distance as he walked through the field. I don't know where he came from, or where he was heading. I was just glad he kept his distance, just giving me a brief glance as he passed by.

It's a Good Year for Phlox

Two friends of mine own a nice size piece of Texas just south of Seguin, and their ranch is covered with the springtime wildflowers. They graciously allow me to wander around during the day so that I can photograph the flowers. Here, you can see two of their farm dogs accompanying me as I walk through the fields looking for interesting or beautiful patches to photograph. You can see the reddish colored Indian paintbrushes, the blues of the bluebonnets, and some pink phlox in the foreground.

Springtime in Texas and Prickly Poppies

The prickly poppy (Argemone albiflora) stands around 3 to 5 feet tall and blooms in the spring time, along with the bluebonnets and indian paintbrush, and a host of other colorful flowers. The blindingly white bloom of the poppy grabs a person's attention, but it is hard to get too close to the flowers due to the stinging thorns that line the stems and leaves of the plant.

I took these photographs in the field in front of the home of some dear friends of mine, just south of Seguin off Highway 123. Their property has one of the nicest displays of wildflowers every year, so I make it a point to head there when I am out taking pictures. Sandra, the lady who lives there, came out to visit with me as I took pictures, and when we finished, I headed back to my truck, which was parked next to a power pole that was surrounded by these flowers. I got closer and closer to get the right shot, and almost leaned right into one of the plants. Luckily, I payed attention while shooting, and avoided getting stung by the hairy bristlly thorns.

The Indian Paintbrush Adds a Touch of Pink

Although the Texas bluebonnet is the hands-down favorite of the springtime wildflower show, the Indian paintbrush is right behind it in popularity. With salmon and peachy pink colored brachts, it pops up in the midst of the blues and yellows of the wildflower fields and roadsides. 

And, it may not be the Texas state flower, but it is the state flower of Wyoming. 

The Bluebonnet is the Star of The Texas Spring

The beautiful bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) is the official state flower of Texas, voted on by members of the state legislature in 1901. It is actually a member of the lupine family, but in Texas, we don't care. It is our beloved bluebonnet, the most prized of all the wild flowers that pop up during the warm Texas spring. 

Thanks to Ladybird Johnson, the wife of former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, both natives of central Texas, the fields and roadsides of our state are covered in blooms during March and April. For 20 years, starting in 1969, she emphasized the beautification of Texas roads and highways, giving awards to highway districts that did outstanding jobs of using native Texas plants and flowers in their landscaping. 

The Texas Department of Transportation also has a passion for wild flowers, seeding over 30,000 pounds of  wild flowers every year. Then, in the spring, they suspend mowing the sides of roadways for a couple of months to allow the plants to flourish and reseed. 

Because of the focus on wild flowers, the highways and byways are filled with beautiful blooms at this time of the year. The bluebonnet fields are especially lovely, with waves of blue covering the ground. 

Texas Wildflower Season Is Here

Once again, thanks to an abundance of rain, the fields and sides of roads are bursting with color. The wild flowers have begun to bloom, and there are still several more weeks for more patches to appear. Texans are mighty proud of their wild flower displays, and they are particularly proud of the sky blue blooms of the bluebonnet.

It has been a busy, hectic winter for me, so I have not posted much at all and I am looking forward to getting back into the daily routine of sharing some of the natural beauty of central Texas. So, for the next several days, I will be featuring some of the wild flowers that are blooming around Seguin.

Of course, I will start with the bluebonnet, so come back tomorrow to learn a little about our favorite flower, the Texas state flower, the bluebonnet.