Bluebonnets near Mason. (Photo by Tim Fitzharris)

Bluebonnets near Mason. (Photo by Tim Fitzharris)

After an unusually cold, wet, and blustery winter, spring couldn’t come soon enough to Texas this year. One bonus for suffering through those dreary months: This year’s wildflowers could prove spectacular.

Most of us have a favorite field, road, or hillside that we watch for those first blips of color that foretell the blaze of spring glory to come. To help us plan our annual wildflower drives, we asked experts at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin to recommend some locations likely to sport a bounty of blooms. Of course, when, where, how many, and what types of wildflowers bloom in any given area depend mightily on rainfall, temperature, and whether a landscape was mowed, tilled, or otherwise altered. But odds are good for an abundance of color and variety along the routes spotlighted on these pages. In addition to flowers, we’ve suggested other sights to look for, places to grab a bite, and, should one day not prove sufficient to slake your wildflower thirst, a few nice spots to spend the night. Take your camera … and take your time.

From the April 2010 issue

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