Blue-Bonnets…

I would really love a field of wildflowers.

I tried sowing seeds when we first moved to Footlights but that failed, or maybe the weather was too hot, or too wet or the mowing started too early.

I need to remember that spring doesn’t arrive all at once, it begins slowly sometime in March and isn’t in full swing until May rolls around.

I’m always worried that the brutal heat will wither their valiant efforts but wildflowers are hardy and survive heavy rains, sodden ground and high winds…

…and long, hot, humid days.

all signs that spring has settled in with her fickle changes in weather.

This year neighbors were boasting bluebonnets, sprinkled with Indian Paintbrush.  I put the word out that I would like to have seeds and everyone along the lane who had wildflowers told me I was welcome to dig some up and re-plant them at Footlights.

My next door neighbor had the best display,

Bluebonnets2

and I went over several times to admire her fields,

Bluebonnets

and dig some up,

Bluebonnets3

Apparently transplanting bluebonnets is a better way than sowing seeds, but it is also harder work.

I located a small hillock, where I thought they’d be safe for a couple of months while they died and shed their seeds, and transplanted them.

Bluebonnets4

Moving them like this is very traumatic for the plant and all of a sudden, these seemingly hardy fellows showed their delicate side.

They withered pitifully within a couple of days…

…aand my son-in-law, who had mowed shortly before I did my planting, looked out at the bedraggled clump of what looked like weeds and thought,

‘How did I miss that clump of weeds?’

He jumped on the John Deere and mowed all my hard work down!

Bluebonnets5

Ooops!

So I started again!

The bluebonnets were easier to uproot the second time since it had just rained and I had them dug into the hillock, while the ground was still wet, in the blink of an eye.

Bluebonnets6

On a planting roll I plodded through another neighbor’s field,

IndianPaintbrush

and harvested a bucketful of Indian Paintbrush to transplant on my ‘safe hillock’.

IndianPaintbrush2

I dug three holes and planted them in bunches and then hastily sent out a warning message that the hillock was a designated Wildflower Transplantation Zone…

…DO NOT MOW FOR SEVERAL MONTHS!!

IndianPaintbrush3

Hopefully all my hard work will pay off next year!

And some of the prettiest wildflowers in Texas will clothe my meadows in a blanket of spring colour.

Share this:

No comments so far!

Leave a Comment