Spring is here! I can tell when the spring wildflowers are in full bloom that its safe to start planting bedding starters in my garden. We have several wildflowers that grow along our back road along County Road 376. I bought some seeds of various Texas species and looking forward to watching them grow. We didn't receive much rain this year so the blooms are limited in places. I started a bluebonnet flower bed this year and so far they are beginning to bloom. I just hope that next year they will spread and fill in. They will blend in with the new chapel that we are building for my bridal portraits in 2010. Bluebonnets are sometimes hard to grow because they don't like wet soil, and require at least eight hours of full sun. Their peak blooming season is late March and early April. Another favorite is the Indian paintbrushes, brightly colored tips of the petals look like they have been dipped in red paint. Colors can range from red to deep orange. They are awesome mixed together with bluebonnets. Yellow coreopsis grow along the fields next to our house and sometimes you will find them around our mailbox. They say that the early settlers put the plants under their mattresses to ward away ticks and fleas. Goldenrod is the least favorite if you have allergy problems, also known as ragweed. And we always have a blankets of pink buttercups. By the way they say that buttercups are poisonous so don't let your children pick them. Other bloomers are bull nettle, wine cup, yellow thistle, blue mealy sage wild violets, honeysuckle and spider wort.Wildflowers are a great prop to use for my portraits so I always taken advantage of it during their blooming stages. I probably do more senior portraits in the month of March and April than any other month. Some of my bridal portraits are done with bluebonnets but you have to be careful to protect their dresses because bluebonnets will stain. Engagements are great with all of our Texas wildflowers because you are adding a little color to the image. Take a walk through your garden and find out what kind of color that you have growing wild along the ditches and pastures, you might be surprised! March and April's special portrait session in the wildflowers is going on now so call for an appointment before the blooms are gone!! The session's cost is $25.00, and all images will be applied to a cd. Enjoy your Spring!!!