Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Bluebonnets! GBBD March 2012

Ahhhhh, Bluebonnet time!  When it comes to native wildflowers in Texas, there is no contest for the favorite.  Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis), the state flower, wins every time.  That's just one reason why I'm featuring these Bluebonnet photos -- all taken in my backyard -- for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, March 2012.

 

Each spring these beauties bring back my earliest childhood memories of driving from our home in Houston to visit my grandparents in Austin.  The patches of blue on the hillsides along the way looked like blue velvet blankets to me.



I lived outside Texas for many years and the photo of Bluebonnets I kept on my desk was a great conversation starter everywhere from southern California to Boston.  The conversation usually began with "you must be a Texan...."


No surprise that I chose to grow Bluebonnets in my backyard here in San Antonio.


The Bluebonnet patch began three years ago with a few plants and this year we expanded it to a new garden area.  This is the best year for them by far.


 
We'll have hundreds of seeds for next year.


Bluebonnets are more than just a wildflower.  They are something magical.



Join Carol at May Dreams Gardens and other garden bloggers from around the world to see what's blooming for GBBD March 2012.

29 comments:

  1. MAGIC is right! I love the pictures! This is a great time of year! Thanks for sharing all your wonderful Bluebonnets with us!

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  2. Your pictures are beautiful!! I can't wait to drive the "Bluebonnet Trail" this year.

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    1. Thank you Steph, the bluebonnets are peaking early this year.

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  3. Such beautiful flowers! I tried to grow them from seed one year here in NC, but they didn't do nearly as well, sadly.

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    1. Thanks Indie, they prefer poor, rocky alkaline clay with hot, dry summers. Probably a lot different from NC!

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  4. As a fellow Texan, I love bluebonnets! (Of course!) Yours are gorgeous! I haven't seen them here yet - just some Indian Paint Brushes, but now I'll be looking for them. Fields of blue are an amazing sight to see. Thanks for featuring this Texas native!

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    1. Thank you Holley! They should be there soon, my SIL reports they are looking good around Dallas now.

      I sowed Indian Paint Brush seeds there but none showed up. Will keep trying because it's a great combo.

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  5. The bluebonnets are lovely this year and yours are especially beautiful.

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    1. Thank you Tina, the rain made all the difference.

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  6. Wonderful! Love that color. Must get to Texas at bluebonnet time one of these years.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. The timing is tricky if you're far away, kind of like seeing the Cherry Blossoms in DC.

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    2. I have finally succeeded in growing bluebonnets in my back yard in Galveston. The seed pods are now forming and some are turning brown and looking dried out. Is there something special that I need to the seed/plants for ensure that they come back bigger and better next spring? Please email me at femcdani@yahoo.com

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  7. Beautiful Shirley, I love the foliage too!

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    1. Thank you Loree, the foliage hugs the ground in rosettes until the blooms pop.

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  8. Beautiful. I think they're going to really shine this year.
    Yours look great.

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    1. They do look amazing all over the place this year.

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  9. Shirley your Bluebonnets are just lovely!!

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  10. I nearly grew some bluebonnets once, but alas the seed remained in the packet. If I had seen your photos then, I'm sure I would have given them a try.

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    1. The seeds remain viable for many years so if you still have the packet go ahead and give them a try.

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  11. Nice sharp shots! I love blue on a flower....similiar to but not quite like our Desert Lupine wildflower:)

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    1. Thank you Chris, I'm working on the photo aspect and I appreciate your input.

      Yes, they are a form of Lupine so related.

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  12. ...all taken in your backyard! Wow! These are gorgeous photos. I love our state flower, don't you?
    I just wish they could bloom all summer as well.
    Happy GBBD!
    David/:0)

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    1. Thank you David, they are definitely special.

      If they bloomed all summer I'd have to weed them! As it is I have to leave the weeds until the seeds are set.

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  13. Wow, Shirley, just gorgeous! We don't have bluebonnets blooming yet! And I think I see a CTG taping date in your future. Great garden! In the meantime, I'm adding you to CTG's blogroll. Happy spring!

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  14. Faith, I have copied your comment here so you can see it did go through.

    I have finally succeeded in growing bluebonnets in my back yard in Galveston. The seed pods are now forming and some are turning brown and looking dried out. Is there something special that I need to the seed/plants for ensure that they come back bigger and better next spring?

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    1. I have answered by email that the best way to ensure a return crop is to collect the seeds and follow the instructions in my post on planting them from seed.

      http://rockoakdeer.blogspot.com/2012/05/growing-texas-bluebonnets-from-seed.html

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