HOUSTON – It’s spring and the wildflowers are here.
If you’re crazy about those beautiful blooms, from bluebonnets to Indiana paintbrush and more, visiting the locations below will be fun for the whole family. This list includes seven places around Texas that have a number of attractions that go beyond the blooms, from views to flower-infused products for sale.
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Antique Rose Emporium, Brenham, Texas
These show gardens offer a stunning display of heirloom roses, perennials, succulents, herbs and wildflowers. The Antique Rose Emporium gardens are the site of the annual Festival of Roses each fall and in 2012 the site was designated a Hall of Fame Garden by the Great Rosarians of the World. Plants and garden supplies are available for purchase.
When: Open year-round, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday from 11a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Where: 10000 FM 50, Brenham, Texas
Details: Free admission, (979) 836-5548, go here for more information for your visit.
Buffalo Bayou Park, Houston
At Buffalo Bayou Park, fields of wildflowers and bluebonnets can be found all around the park, which also includes hiking, biking, and kayaking. Buffalo Bayou park also has The Water Works at Sabine Street, The Brown Foundation Lawn, a grassy plateau framed by trees with a stunning view of the downtown skyline, the Cistern, which was one of the City of Houston’s first underground drinking-water reservoirs, and more.
When: Open year-round, Monday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: 3600 Allen Pkwy, Houston
Details: Pay to park, free admission. Here’s more information for your visit.
Bluebonnet Trails and Festival, Ennis, Texas
From April 1-30, Ennis showcases over 40 miles of mapped driving Bluebonnet Trails sponsored by the Ennis Garden Club. These trails are the oldest such trails known in the state, and tens of thousands of visitors make the short trek to Ennis to view this wonderful wildflower show. The Ennis Garden Club will drive the trails to check the bloom status each week starting in April. The club then reports to the Ennis Welcome Center about the latest status of the bluebonnets so that visitors can be well informed where the best flowers are on the trails at the time of their visit. Each year, the bluebonnets will appear on different trails as these are natural to the area. In Ennis, the bluebonnets typically peak around the third week of April, according to the Ennis Garden Club.
When: April 1 through April 30, times vary.
Where: 201 NW Main, Ennis, Texas
Details: Adults pay $5, children 12 and under admission is free.
Chappell Hill Lavender Farm, Brenham, Texas
At Chappell Hill Lavender Farm, thousands of waist-high, purple plants bloom in two seasons -- sweet lavender is harvested in May and June, whereas the lighter-hued Provence variety is harvested from late July through September. When the lavender is ready to reap, visitors are invited to stroll through the fields and gather their own fresh bouquets. A gift shop on site offers a variety of lavender products including lavender ice cream, lavender-infused jam and honey, lavender lotions, soaps, tea, spice blends and more. Each year, in March or April, a breathtaking sea of bluebonnets bloom on the farm.
When: Open Thursday through Sunday, from March through November
Where: 2250 Dillard Road, Brenham, Texas
Details: Admission is free, (979) 251-8114, for more information click here.
Lady Bird Center, Austin, Texas
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, home to nearly 900 species of native Texas plants including hundreds of species of native wildflowers, boasts the kind of floral diversity that can’t be observed from the car window. In addition to iconic wildflowers like Texas bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush and pink evening primrose, visitors can also get a glimpse of species typically found on the sidelines such as antelope horns milkweed, dewberry, irises, golden groundsel, windflowers, goldeneye phlox, spiderworts, prairie fleabane, baby blue-eyes, agarita, salvias, purple coneflowers and more.
When: Open year-round
Where: 4801 La Crosse Ave, Austin, Texas
Details: Phone: (512)-232-0100, for more info click here.
Wildseed Farms, Fredericksburg, Texas
Wildseed Farms has been growing fields of wildflowers for the production of seed for over 35 years. They are the nation’s largest working wildflower farm, with over 200 acres in Fredericksburg, Texas alone.
When: Open year-round
Where: 100 Legacy Drive, Fredericksburg, Texas
Details: Admission is free, Retail Store: 830-990-1393, go here for more information.
St. Edwards University, Austin, Texas
Beautiful bluebonnets can be found decorating the 160-acre campus of St. Edward’s University in the heart of Austin, where sweet scents of mountain laurels fill the air and the Austin skyline forms an iconic backdrop for photos. Patches of bluebonnets are scattered throughout the picturesque campus, but there’s typically a banner display near the entrance along the edge of the property skirting South Congress Avenue.
When: Open year-round, Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Where: 3001 South Congress, Austin, Texas
Details: Admission is free, (512) 448-8400
Will you and your family check out any of these locations? Have you already been? Let us know in the comments.