Bluebonnet Notes (Texas Art)
Since 2010 I have spent a significant amount of time each spring looking for bluebonnets across the state of Texas. Prior to the 2020 Texas bluebonnet season, I decided to begin trying to predict the best areas to find bluebonnets based on rainfall maps and then, after the season ends, posting a review of my prognosticatory successes and failures as well as ratings of the bluebonnet displays for each region of Texas with which I am familiar. I do these for my own enjoyment as well as to keep a record of my thoughts about years past. I do not post exact locations of bluebonnets either in predictions or reviews.
2023 Bluebonnet Season Review
Each region is rated on a scale of 1-5. Obviously, with limited time one can only cover so much of any given area, and all opinions regarding bloom quality are subjective. The ratings are assigned as follows:
1 - Bad2 - Could have been better3 - Good4 - Great5 - Best I've ever seen Big BendAs expected, the 2023 bluebonnet season in the Big Bend was another bust, although, I would say I saw more blooms this year than I did in 2022...
2023 Bluebonnet Forecast (Part III) - Texas Hill Country
In Part I of this series we took a look at the rainfall data from the Big Bend in West Texas and in Part II we looked at the data from South Texas. Now we move on to the Texas Hill Country. For the purposes of this article, the Texas Hill Country is defined as Llano County, Mason County, San Saba County, Blanco County, Burnet County, and Gillespie County.
2023 Bluebonnet Forecast (Part II) - South Texas
In Part I of this series we took a look at the rainfall data from the Big Bend in West Texas. In Part II we will look at the data from South Texas. For the purposes of this article, South Texas is defined as Atascosa County, DeWitt County, Gonzales County, Guadalupe County, Karnes County, and Wilson County. Although there are certainly plenty of other areas of South Texas where bluebonnets bloom, these are the areas with which I am most familiar.
2023 Bluebonnet Forecast (Part I) - The Big Bend of Texas
As February begins to wind down, we find that bluebonnet season is upon us once again. We are now four years into a drought that has not been kind to the wildflowers, and unfortunately, it persists. Though there are many contributing factors for a bluebonnet bloom, the most important by far is rainfall, on which the first three articles of this four-part series will focus.
2022 Bluebonnet Season Review
Each region is rated on a scale of 1-5. Obviously, with limited time one can only cover so much of any given area, and all opinions regarding bloom quality are subjective. The ratings are assigned as follows:
1 - Bad2 - Could have been better3 - Good4 - Great5 - Outstanding Big Bend
My fifth trip to the Big Bend region region during bluebonnet season was, once again, a bust...
2022 Bluebonnet Forecast (Part III) - Texas Hill Country
In Part II of this series we took a look at the rainfall and temperature data from South Texas. In Part III we will look at the weather data from the Texas Hill Country. For the purposes of this article, the Texas Hill Country is defined as Llano County, Mason County, San Saba County, Blanco County, Burnet County, and Gillespie County...
2022 Bluebonnet Forecast (Part II) - South Texas
In Part I of this series we took a look at the rainfall data from the Big Bend in West Texas. In Part II we will look at the data from South Texas. For the purposes of this article, South Texas is defined as Atascosa County, DeWitt County, Gonzales County, Guadalupe County, Karnes County, and Wilson County...
2022 Bluebonnet Forecast (Part I) - The Big Bend of Texas
With bluebonnet season just a few weeks away, the time has come to look at the available weather data in order to try and forecast what the 2022 season might be like. This annual series of articles began in 2020 as a way to learn more about how to more accurately predict where bluebonnets will be blooming through analysis of weather data prior to the season, and then to chronicle what I had personally seen during the bluebonnet season by reviewing my findings on the ground after the season is over...