Wildflower season in Texas is waning.  The lack of rain left the bluebonnet crop lacking.  But the red flowers are brilliant.  The flowers seem to come in phases.  Bluebonnets and yucca lead the way.  Following the blue season is the red season; indian blanket, indian paint brush, red poppies and some stuff I can’t name.  Yellow follows the red season; daisies, sunflower, etc.

In a good season, photographers line the highways and tourism brings a smile to the faces of local business people.  Finding just the right (not already occupied) spot is a task.  There is a place, however, for photographers to get an entire season of wildflower photographs in one day.  The Wildseed Farms is on US290,  seven miles east of Fredericksburg.  Not only can you have free access to their gardens, you can buy seeds and plants for your own garden.  They also offer very artistic planters, pots, bird baths, water structures and decorative designs.

My wife has a new car.  We decided to take it for an old-fashioned Sunday drive.  She had never been to the Wildseed Farm and had always wanted to see the place … and shop.  She is really into gardening.  She absolutely loved it.  We spent several hours there; me taking pictures and her ooohing and ahhhhing, admiring the flowers and handling the trinkets.  She wanted something for her mother.  (Mother’s Day, you know)  She didn’t find that perfect gift but did buy several packages of seeds for our own gardens.

There are 200 acres of wild flowers in  various stages of development.  The shopping areas are central; you go through the shops to get to the flower trails.  There is no charge and it seems the flower gardens are laid out with photographers in mind.  Distractions and busy backgrounds are minimal.

We stopped in Fredericksburg for our Sunday drive lunch but could just as well have visited the Wildflower Farms’ Brewbonned Biergarden.  They serve some excellent sandwiches and offer a beautiful outdoor setting for enjoying your lunch and beverage.

There also is a live butterfly exhibit.  We will try it on our next visit.  There is a small fee.  It was four dollars  for seniors.  I can’t recall the other prices.  You can gather much more information at their website, including phone numbers and the hours.  The website is at:

http://www.wildseedfarms.com/

Maybe we can schedule this as a Photography Club outing.  I will propose the idea tonight at our monthly meeting.

l8r

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