Crook March | A Travis County Almanac

March 27, 2014

An Abundance of Blue Bonnets

For my March nature blog, I decided to sit on a picnic bench behind Teresa Hall on campus, snuggly placed overlooking the serene greens that border the hall. I noticed that when Spring arrives in Texas, as does the state flower, the Texas blue bonnets. I was astonished to see so many flowers appear and take over the usually grassy plain in such a short amount of time. Aside from my heightened allergies thanks to the flowers, it was quite beautiful seeing them all.

“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” ―Aldo Leopold (Forward to “A Sand County Almanac”).

I decided that this quote was fitting because of our campus’s location. The entire St. Edward’s Campus takes up a lofty amount of land and seeing these blue bonnets pop up all across campus despite man’s modifications helps us remember what forces really control our environment. Even though mankind continuously attempts to control and manage every bit of our Earth, nature ultimately has and will always have the true control.

Location: Behind Teresa Hall
Start Time: 6:00 p.m.
End Time: 7:00 p.m.
Forecast: Light Rain in the AM but became a Sunny/Clear skies day
Temperature: 83 degrees Fahrenheit

The blue bonnets hold more than a title as the state flower to Texans and outsiders alike; a historian named Jack Maguire once wrote, “It’s not only the state flower but also a kind of floral trademark almost as well known to outsiders as cowboy boots and the Stetson hat…The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland.” Aside from witnessing multiple mini photoshoots students had in the flowers while conducting my observation, overall it was a very tranquil and peaceful experience.

I was able to really feel springtime in the air. Hearing multiple bird calls, seeing scampering squirrels pop in and around the flowers, even seeing small little rollie pollies wander about the gravel, I felt springtime in the air. I was able to get up close to the flowers that were causing my allergies to be so terrible and even so, seeing them up close I couldn’t help but appreciate their vivid color schemes and their overall beauty. They’re such a unique and distinct flower, it’s almost fitting that they are the state flower of Texas.