Hope Blooms

"Where flowers bloom so does hope." ~ Lady Bird Johnson
As the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson served as First Lady from 1963-1969. Her given name was Claudia Alta; a nursemaid once declared Claudia to be "purty as a lady bird," and the nickname stuck.

Lady Bird earned two degrees (history and journalism) and authored A White House Diary, which recorded her activities during LBJ's administration. Of her accomplishments--and there were many--one that I most enjoy is her wildflower project. Think Texas Bluebonnets!

Lady Bird started the national beautification campaign, which resulted in the Highway Beautification Act of 1965. She is also credited for initiating the planting of thousands of tulips and daffodils in DC.
In 1982, Lady Bird founded the National Wildflower Research Project. On her 85th birthday, it was renamed the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The center, a public botanical garden, is located in Austin, Texas. Planning trips around seasonal bloom can be a challenge. Bloom forecasts, such as the one at the center are helpful. ( https://news.wildflower.org/2017-wildflower-forecast/)
Because Lady Bird was so accomplished, the fact that her mother died when Lady Bird was just five years old is somewhat forgotten in history. Her belief, where flowers bloom so does hope, speaks volumes. Thankfully, the Lord blessed the earth with Bluebonnets. Special thanks to Lady Bird for their abundance--a reminder of hope.
[Carolyn Fjeran, reflective writer with a colloquial twist; former writer for Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and The Newnan Times-Herald]

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