Friday, September 17

Lady Bird’s Legacy

Wild Flowers Along Old Denton Highway, Near Fort Worth Alliance Airport. September 2010
Texas really IS another whole country. Each spring, mowing maintenance along the freeways comes to a halt for the wildflower season. Many of these wildflowers are less wild than it appears, with seed having been cast along the routes to enhance nature’s beauty. Texans, who normally take pride in their ability to eat nails, kick Okie butts, shoot birds, and drive giant pickup trucks, gush over the Bluebonnets. Lady Bird Johnson encouraged this and helped it evolve into the mania it is today.
No Mow Area Adjacent to Webb House in Colleyville
Many of the local cities have small plots of land reserved for wildflowers, often surrounded by a fence or cable, complete with advisory signs. Mostly, this brouhaha takes place in the spring, but the warm Texas summers don’t really make the flowers go away. Even now, in September, the show continues, regardless of municipal “do not mow” areas and the cessation of freeway right-of-way seeding.
The Little Rope Fence Would Not Really Keep a Determined Flower Picker or Mower Away. The Stakes Were Barely Able to Keep Buddy Upright

Even in September, There Are Snippets of Color in These "No Mow" Plots in Texas

3 comments:

Big Oak said...

What a great legacy for her to leave!

Rat Trap Press said...

Now that you mention it, I've noticed a resurgence of flowers on my rides. It's nice to have some color along the trail.

GreenComotion said...

I love wildflowers! It makes good sense to grow them and let them flourish. Bluebonnets are lovely. Wildflowers is South Texas are especially breathtaking.

Nature has great things to offer :)

Peace :)

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