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Bluebonnets
The
Texas State Flower
The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland,
the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose
to England and the tulip to Holland. - Jack Maguire
In
a state full of beautiful things, it's not unusual that
the hills and valleys of Texas are covered each spring season
with the delicate but hardy colorful flower we call the
bluebonnet.
Bluebonnets
have been loved since man first trod the vast prairies of
Texas. Native Americans (Texans) wove fascinating folk tales
around them, crediting them with everything from having
natural medicinal qualities to being spiritual messengers
sent from the heavens. The early-day Spanish priests gathered
the seeds and grew them around their missions to beautify.
This practice gave rise to the myth that the padres had
brought the plant from Spain, but the two predominant species
of bluebonnets are found growing naturally only in Texas
and at no other location in the world.
Just
how the delicate blue beauty became the official state flower
is a little-known story worth repeating. Back on 1901, when
the matter was up for a vote in the state legislature, the
bluebonnet was running second to the cotton flower and the
bloom of the Prickly Pear advocated by John Nance Garner.
Garner, who later became vice-president of the United States,
lost out on his flower of choice and managed to be tagged
with a nickname, "Cactus Jack", for his unsuccessful
efforts.
It
seems a ladies group had been lobbying for the bluebonnet,
which, in the end, finally came to be known as the official
flower of Texas.
Following
the legislature's decision, however, another debate raged
for decades as to which species of Bluebonnet was the actual
state flower. In 1971 the it was finally settled when the
legislature decided that all six species of the bluebonnet
would be known as the official state flower(s) of Texas.
Viewing
bluebonnets in Texas is about as easy as hitching up the
horses and heading out across the countryside for a long
drive in the spring. Of course, taking the car and following
the highways are a preferred method in contemporary times.
Where
do you look for fields of bluebonnets? While bluebonnets
generally grow in every corner of the state, the Texas Hill
Country seems to be the favorite place if you're looking
for concentrated growth. From the Highland Lakes region
just west of Austin to the hilly countryside north of Uvalde,
and everything in between, there are plenty of Sunday drives
that will bring you into the heart of bluebonnet country.
Of
course, different species of bluebonnets bloom at different
times. Follow this guide to determine the best time(s) to
hit the road:
LUPINUS
TEXENSIS
Region: Central Texas
Look for: pointed leaflets, blue flowers tipped with white
Peak season: Late March to early April
LUPINUS
SUBCARNOSUS
Region: Hidalgo, Leon and LaSalle counties
Look for: blunt leaflets, widely spaced flowers
Peak season: Late March
LUPINUS
HAVARDII
Region: Big Bend country
Look for: Flowering stalks up to 3 feet tall, seven leaflets
Peak season: Early spring
LUPINUS
CONCINNUS
Region: Trans-Pecos
Look for: 2- to 7-inch flowers in purple, lavender and white
Peak season: Early spring
LUPINUS
PLATTENSIS
Region: Panhandle plains
Look for: Stalks up to 2 feet tall
Peak season: Mid to late spring
Although
there are many driving routes (known as bluebonnet trails)
throughout the state, a good place to start is near the
city of Burnet, which is known as the Bluebonnet Capital
of Texas. Burnet is roughly 40 miles northwest of Austin.
Follow TX Hwy 29 west out of Burnet for 3-1/2 miles, then
turn right (north) on Ranch Road 234 and follow it about
6 miles. Turn left on Graphite Mine Road, which will eventually
meet TX Hwy 29. Turn left to return to Burnet.
A variation of this drive will give you different but equally
spectacular views of bluebonnets as well as of Lake Buchanan.
Follow TX Hwy 29 west and again turn right on RR 234. If
you stay on this road, you'll have 15 miles of vistas before
it finally dead-ends. You can return via the same route
or make the turn on Graphite Mine Road.
If you want to see even more of the Hill Country, simply
stay on TX Hwy 29 west all the way to Llano, a distance
of about 30 miles. In Llano, turn left (south) on TX Hwy
16 and follow it to Fredericksburg (39 miles). In Fredericksburg
turn left (east) on U.S. Hwy 290 and follow it 32 miles
to Johnson City, then follow U.S. Hwy 281 north 37 miles
to Burnet.
Another
beautiful bluebonnet drive leads west from Brenham on U.S.
Hwy 290 to Giddings (35 miles), south on U.S. Hwy 77 to
LaGrange (20 miles), then north on TX 159 and 237, which
will get you back to U.S. 290 in the city of Burton, about
15 miles west of Brenham. Brenham lies midway between Austin
and Houston.
Each
April 24, Texas celebrates State Wildflower Day, and many
cities have pageants, parades, and other celebrations. A
partial listing of cities includes Mason, Chappell Hill,
Keney, Glen Rose, Ennis, and Hughes Springs. The best way
to learn what is scheduled is to contact the Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin, TX 78739,
(512) 292-4100. During March, April, and May, the Department
of Transportation also has a telephone hotline with information
on where bluebonnets are blooming: (800) 452-9292.
(edited
for length)
Texas
Less Traveled
http://www.texaslesstraveled/bluebonnet.htm
Find
out about the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail. Tickets available
now for three weekends in April.
April
3-4, 10-11, 17-18
http://www.texasbluebonnetwinetrail.com
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Upcoming Events:
POA
Quarterly Meeting
April
17
10-12pm
Golf Club House
Special
Trash Pick Up
Tuesday,
May 4
Blue
Lake/Deerhaven Ladies Luncheon
May
7
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Recipes
Blue
Lake residents are great cooks!
Grandmother
Reynolds Sugar Cookies
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
½ cup butter/margarine
Sift dry ingredients together, cut in shortening as
in pie crust, add vanilla and beaten egg, plus water
as needed to mix.
Refrigerate dough, roll on floured surface and cut with
cookie cutter. Decorate.
Place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake 400’ for 6-8 min.
Do
you have a favorite family recipe? Send it to us for the
website.
<Email your recipes
to SueBurkhalter@nctv.com>
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Hill
Country Activities
Hill
Country Books and Others Online
<www.hillcountrycurrent.com/bookshelf/>
Bald
Eagles plus their eaglets have made their home on Hwy 29
between Llano and Kingsland
Lake
Buchanan Adventures: Kayak trips on Lake Buchanan at Canyon
of the Eagles Nature Park, east Lake Buchanan. 512-756-9911
Texas
Country Magazine has lots of Hill Country info at a great
price
<www.hillcountrymagazine.com>
Hill
Country Theater has a new show ending March 7.
<www.hcct.org>
Llano
Opry - great music in a fun setting
<www.hillbillyhits.com/llanoopry>
Hill
Country Trekkers-group hikes in the hill country
<hctrekkers@yahoo.com>
Email
your favorite Hill Country spots with their website to:
SueBurkhalter@nctv.com
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Home
Care Tips
Save
money with Solar Power, 5 ways to use the Solar Power around
your home and garden.
There are many way you can use Solar Power around your home
& garden, here a just a few that can get you started
in saving money and helping the environment.
1.
Solar Garden Lights
Why go through the expense of digging up your garden and
laying cables, when you could use Solar Powered Lights.
They are easy to install and an attractive way to use Solar
Power. They charge during the day and automatically turn
on at dusk. You do have to think about where you place them
in the garden, so they can get a full charge during the
day.
2.
Solar Water fountains
Easy to install and they can be a charming addition to any
garden pond. Having a fountain can also keep your pond healthy,
by stopping the water in the pool from stagnating. The sound
off running water is also known way to relieve stress.
3.
Solar Battery Chargers
Why charge the batteries for all your gadgets like you mobile
phone or Ipod from the mains when you could use a Solar
charger wherever you are. Solar Panels now come in many
shapes and sizes. Some varieties can be rolled up so are
easy to carry; you can even get them built into rucksacks.
You can get a charger specifically designed for the Ipod,
which uses solar power.
4.
Solar Pool Heating
Why not use Solar Power to heat the water in your pool and
then keep that heat in the pool by using a solar pool cover.
If you are still heating your pool using power from the
mains, you are literally making your money evaporate into
the air.
5.
Solar Panels
Create power or heat water for your home to help reduce
your heating bills in the long run, the Solar Panels can
be fitted to your roof and the suns light is converted into
electricity or used to heat the water for your home. This
is the most involved way to use Solar Power in your home,
if you want to go this route, I would employ professionals
who will be able to advise you in what the best plan of
action would be, and the possible savings.
Gavin Dye is the webmaster and author at a http://www.solar-power-4u.com
Wwhere you can learn more about solar
power and alternative energy.
Check
out his blog at
http://www.solar-power-4u.com/blog
Edited
for length.
Article
Source: http://www.easyezinearticles.com
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