Lady Bird Johnson and Wildflowers

Having traveled Interstate 24 many times in the past few weeks. I have been so thrilled to see the wildflowers in bloom in the median. These beautiful creations make an otherwise dull trip into an artistic canvas full of color. I have copied the words of Lady Bird Johnson, who wanted to share her love of wildflowers with all of America....

"My heart found its home long ago in the beauty, mystery, order and disorder of the flowering earth."

"My special cause, the one that alerts my interest and quickens the pace of my life, is to preserve the wildflowers and native plants that define the regions of our land-to encourage and promote their use in appropriate areas and thus help pass on to generation in waiting the quiet joys and satisfactions I have known since my childhood "

"Some may wonder why I chose wildflowers when there are hunger and unemployment and the big bomb in the world. Well, I, for one, think we will survive, and I hope that along the way we can keep alive our experience with the flowering earth. For the bounty of nature is also one of the deep needs of man."

"I have always been a natural tourist. Lyndon used to say I kept 'one foot in the middle of the big road'. Wherever I go in America, I like it when the land speaks its own language in its own regional accent."

"Though the word beautification makes the concept sound merely cosmetic, it involves much more: clean water, clean air, clean roadsides, safe waste disposal and preservation of valued old landmarks as well as great parks and wilderness areas. To me…beautification means our total concern for the physical and human quality we pass on to our children and the future

"The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become

"A I look back across a span of more than seven decades, I'm grateful for the joy that nature has given me and for the lifetime of experiences that led me to believe that I might repay a part of the debt I've incurred for beauty enjoyed."

"Wildflower landscapes can help us save water. Wildflowers also can save time and maintenance money. They may even bring money to cities and states. Wildflower trails and flower festivals improve local pride and bring in tourists. But, as I've said, we need to know much more about how and when and where to plant them to get reliable, predictable, consistent results. We need that knowledge if we are to preserve wildflowers and to choose them as complements to traditional manicured landscaping."

"When I was a little girl, I grew up listening to the wind in the pine trees of the East Texas woods."

Join me and others around the watercooler at Ethos today for more art and culture.

Comments

[Jim Drake]

Chris--Have you been to the Wildflower Center in Austin? If not--make a trip and go. I went last fall while in Austin, and I thought what am I doing here? It was one of the most spiritual things I've done--the beauty of a Fall day in Austin--looking over the wild prairies--taking a walk and talking to the creator. It calmed my soul.

She was a remarkable woman and made not only an impact on Texas but the world. And you wonder why Jenna Bush got married last weekend--it was the wildflowers in bloom in the Texas Hill Country.

Great post!

[Audra Krell]

Chris - I loved meeting you last week and can't wait until the next time. Those mango burritos were out of this world. ; )Thanks for a great post, really fascinating.

[juliepersinger]

I, too, love seeing the wildflowers as I'm going down the interstate. Thanks for the insights from Lady Bird - very interesting!

[Tahni]

There is a lot of need in the world, but we shouldn't forget creation in natural beauty either. Great reminder that we should all take a moment to stop and smell (or contemplate) the flowers.

[marina]

Arizona has a cactus called a saguaro and it has the most stunning flower on it that only blooms in May & June. The flowers open up fully at night and only stay open 'til midday the next day. When I sit outside and see the silhouette of a blooming saguaro outlined against a perfectly midnight blue sky, I am supremely happy and content.

[Linda Sue]

Thank you for posting Lady Bird's words - she was a great representative for Texas and of smart women! We enjoy the fruits of her labors - alongside the road to our house are a dozen varieties of colorful wildflowers planted over the years by highway crews. The colors define springtime in Texas.