Texas is not a state I would ordinarily associate with wildflowers.
Wyoming? Montana? Illinois? Maybe... Those are states where I picture pre-teen girls in sundresses and strappy yellow sandals running through a field of wildflowers chasing butterflies.
I guess in Texas that's the case, but the little girls wear cowboy boots instead.
Texas is HUGE on wildflowers. There are all colors of blooms sprouting in every field - bright orange, yellow, and of course blue. The Texas favorite is the bluebonnet.
There are bluebonnet festivals and trails across North Texas, but I didn't want to have to go too far to find them. Thank goodness for the blogosphere. I googled bluebonnets near Allen, Texas - and low and behold a mommy blogger had found a bluebonnet patch at Allen Station Park. I'm sure it wasn't the most impressive display of bluebonnets Texas has to offer, but it was just a short bike ride away.
And they were just as beautiful!
But not all flowers in Texas are wild. Some are carefully planned and planted.
The spring blooms are abundant at the Dallas Arboretum. The Arboretum is GINORMOUS. 66-acres. It took an entire afternoon to wander the grounds, and I'm still convinced I missed parts of it.
This flower kind of looks like a bursting firework.
The landscaping and architecture were beautiful.
This was my favorite part of the park. Vibrant blue flowers, trellises and waterfalls.
And it's where we found the Mexican Buckeye tree. Brutus the Buckeye isn't just our mascot - Buckeye trees dotted the Ohio State campus.You know whenever you feel a longing for home, there's always something there to remind you...
"In fall, the leaves turn golden yellow and the leathery, three-lobed seed pods change from green to reddish brown. The hard, dark, shiny seeds - which rural children sometimes use for marbles - are poisonous," reads the sign. Fear the nut!
Hope this guy doesn't confuse the buckeyes with his stash of acorns.
The gardens overlook White Rock Lake, which we biked around later that afternoon.
The entire way around. All ten miles. Which isn't truly that large of a feat. Except for when your biking against the Dallas winds. Because honestly, 10 miles isn't really that far on a bike. I am the first to admit that. But when you're fighting Hurricane Andrew, 10 miles feels like 10,000.
And you'd think that at some point the wind would be at your back, propelling you forward.... No. This is a classic, "when I was your age... uphill both ways" kind of tale.
Nevertheless, the lake was very beautiful.
Even got a sneak peak at the Dallas skyline beyond the cattails.
I went home that day red - I'm not sure if it was sun or wind burn, but either way, I'll probably check the forecast before heading back out to White Rock. :D
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