http://www.pbase.com/tony_texas/2008_04_01_tx_wildflowers
Good stuff, Tony!
I was out again on Sunday, but have had a ton of things going on, and haven't had a chance to report or post any new images. Overall, there's not much I can add to Tony's report - and once again, the big picture is rather disappointing. However, there are a few specific locations I can recommend:
New Wehdem Rd. - There's a large house with a veritable "moat" of bluebonnets surrounding it. It's well back from the road, so a zoom lens is probably required - there's also decent coverage of BBs and paintbrush in the foreground field closer to the road.
Old Highway 36 - Just south of Old Nelsonville Rd., there's a field with tons of baby-blue-eyes and other mixed wildflowers. Near the intersection with FM 2754, there's a nice field of PB with BBs beginning to show.
Emshof Rd. - Couple of fields beginning to show a nice mix of BB, PB and primrose - still a week or two away from peak.
Navasota/Whitehall - not much to see yet, but there were a few fields right along FM 362 that were showing significant numbers of early BB blooms. Once again, viewing in another week or two could be some of the better stuff encountered this spring.
I was considering a trip out toward Gonzales/Shiner/Cuero this weekend - has anyone heard any reports from the area?
Thanks,
Bill.
Murry, Is this the blue house you mentioned? http://www.pbase.com/richo/image/27583964
If it is then that matches my expectations.
Explored south and SW of Brenham this morning. Weather is very windy and cloudy – not really good for photos of any kind. This whole area is not good for bluebonnets but has quite a variety of other flowers in certain spots and one or two sights I’ve never come across before.
Dierking Rd has a couple of large paintbrush fields, about 60% coverage. Similar field on New Wehdem Rd + a nice area of phlox near intersection with Bleiblerville Rd.
Arning Rd has a very large paintbrush field that goes way back, almost like "the field" on FM2679. About 70% coverage I would guess. Also a large house on that road with a very dense mixed flower area in front.
The field Bill mentioned on old TX 36 just south of Old Nelsonville intersection is really something. I can’t recall seeing anything quite like this mix of flowers going back into the field before. Quite a rainbow of colors. I plan to go back in better light (and less than gale force winds) to do some close-ups.
Old Nelsonville Rd just south of Glaeser Rd intersection has a lovely bluebonnet and primrose fenceline with the road curving off into the distance.
Industry very disappointing. Checked out Star Hill Rd which has been excellent in the past for BB's and it was almost devoid of flowers apart from in front of one house which I guess gets irrigated. The yard is about 60% covered in BB + PB. Just south of town on 109 there is a very large yellow field on the west side.
FM2502 is very sparse and the field in front of the Lutheran Church at the 109/2502 cross is bone dry – tall, dry grass. It was a sea of blue last year.
FM 332 is pretty barren.
Finally, if you need a fix of that concentrated bluebonnet aroma? Go to the area between Walmart and La Quinta on 36 just south of Brenham. Overpowering smell - very dense area of bluebonnets and most looked to be at their absolute peak with only a few gone to seed. Surprisingly it doesn't seem to be that well trampled yet. I may go and lie in it for an hour this afternoon.......
So my recommendation for this area is just either side of FM2754 from where it leaves TX 36 to the south. Gets worse as you go west from there. Try and see Old TX 36 near Old Nelsonville junction.
As always, gallery updated with a few shots for the record.
Tony
Tony,
Once again, thank you for a very excellent report...detailed and timely.
Did you happen to travel down 2502 near Bleiblerville?
I remember seeing a field of paintbrush there in past years. I am wondering if it might be doing well.
And how about the field west of Industry on 159 at Hofheinz Rd?
Very nice work on the photographs...great close-up shots.
Rich, I did go down 2502 Wednesday and there was a big nice field of paintbrush on the west side. There were a few other nice PB sites also. Here is the link to the photos that I have processed from my shoot Wenesday in the Brenham area: http://grigsbys.smugmug.com/gallery/4439942_4jSjS
The new photos start on page three. I'll try to get the rest up this weekend but no promises.
Explored a little more this morning before the rain/wind drove me indoors.
There is a lovely front yard on FM2679 just south of the famous field. Nice mixture of flowers including what looked like foxglove to me. Pic in the gallery.
Zibilski Rd has some very dense bluebonnet stands in one area – like 3 thick bands across the field. Very strong aroma due to their density. Also has a very pretty bank with mixed bluebonnets and primrose on the north side.
Quail Run between Zibilski and Mt Vernon has a very large primrose field with some paintbrush mixed in. By far the largest primrose display I’ve seen on the trip.
Checked out Sempronius and Phillipsburg Church Rds again just to see if things had changed and they had not.
On Tegeler Rd near FM2754 there is an extremely large bluebonnet field in the distance – I didn’t try to get there and I don’t think any roads go close by.
On Old TX 36 the paintbrush field mentioned by Bill has not really filled in much with bluebonnets yet but is still quite a nice sight.
That’s about it for scouting today – will go and do some close-ups now nature’s spritzer has done her thing.
A few added to the gallery.