CAN RAIN SAVE THE BLUEBONNETS?

Spring will certainly come to Texas this year but I think it will be a little different from the last few years. Sparse rainfall at the end of the year will mean fewer wildflowers in the fields. Or should I say fewer of our beloved Texas bluebonnets( Lupinus texensis). All is not lost because some wild flowers thrive on the lack of rainfall and competition from native grasses which will not grow so tall. It will be their spot in the limelight. 

You can see by looking at these photographs of our patch last year that the bluebonnet can dominate. Where enough moisture is found one seed will grow to be a plant 3 feet in diameter. I have one or two of those inside my garden where soils are deeper. 

I walked up to the top of our property yesterday and saw that there will not be one flower there this year. The ground is hard and dry and the seeds which germinated earlier in the year are shriveled and stunted. Even so some are trying to produce a diminutive flower. 

Even the possibility of rain this weekend, the first in months, will do little to bring them on. What a good job that nature makes sure that not all seeds germinate at the same time. Under the dry grass will be others waiting for the fall rains. Their tough seeds coats may just have taken a little longer to wear to the point where water can penetrate. Good old mother nature.

So who will be in the fields this spring. Members of the sunflower family, Engelmann's daisy will be there along with pink Missouri primrose. Ah, yes, I grew that primrose in St Louis. It was so well mannered but here in my Texas garden it wants to take over. 

I actually bought seeds! I am forever pulling out, keeping it under control so that it will only grace the garden  with a beautiful clump or two. Now if only it would grow out on the septic field I could just imagine it............