Blue bonnets

[lovetoread]

I would love to figure out how to grow blue bonnets for my class at school. I am not a plant person but I try.

[JoAnn Purser]

The seed is actually sewn in the fall prior to rains and cold.

There are plants at nurseries available too for an instant gratification.

[Ludwig]

One can fake it by placing the seed in the freezer for a couple of weeks. They do, however, germinate around the 1st week of February so you need to plan ahead.

[JoAnn Purser]

I would love to figure out how to grow blue bonnets for my class at school. I am not a plant person but I try.

An interesting discovery within the bloom is the "cat claw" you could show to the children.

Peel away the blue petals and you will find this "claw".

[IronErnin]

Didn't Mrs Johnson (Lady Bird) endow some program to provide seeds free of charge to interested parties? Whatever happened to that?

[mac]

One can fake it by placing the seed in the freezer for a couple of weeks. They do, however, germinate around the 1st week of February so you need to plan ahead.

it always helps to rough 'em up a little bit with a fingernail file or emory board or something like that or, even better, to crack the seed like you would a nut.....mac

[mac]

Didn't Mrs Johnson (Lady Bird) endow some program to provide seeds free of charge to interested parties? Whatever happened to that? they're still there.......in a barrel....well, actually a keg right there in the gift shop next to the t shirts. problem is that most of the time they don't have any bags so you have to use your shirt pocket or the cellophane off of your cigarettes.....mac

[IronErnin]

And where IS this barrel?

[mac]

And where IS this barrel?

don't know why but I assumed that we were talkin' 'bout the lady bird Johnson wildflower center down there in Austin. supposedly the seeds comes from her ranch....but who knows....if some of you haven't been there you might wanna think about it befor it gets too hot. it's really a great way to spend a day or afternoon........mac

[IronErnin]

What I meant was that I thought there was a place to which you could write and they'd send you a packet of flower seeds. What about sending a SASE to the Wildflower Center? Do you think they'd do that?

[lovetoread]

All great ideas. I did not know about the cat claw. JoAnn could you explain more. Could I buy the starter plant. I told the kids they are not allowed to pick them( which is try) I have taken my kids pictures in them but I don't know of anyone with land that has them that would allow. I would love to show the kids the real flower not just the silk. My school has none on our property or close enough. Also help me out about this whole germination thing. Obviously I am planning for next year. I also have a black thumb. We did grow sunflower seeds in peat pots from the dollar store. The kids loved watching them. I have a teaching partner so I am usually talking about 40 kids. We love the dollar store. Seed packets were 4 for a dollar. We grew extra but every kids plant came up. The story we read was the sunflower house. Our reading series also had pictures and diagrams about soaking seeds etc. we have grown grass but we will keep that in the room for awhile. We like to cut it with scissors.
So I want to do Legend of the Bluebonnet and grow them. If I put the seeds in the freezer they are ready in February. I crack the shells a little. I want to plant them in pots so anything special for that. If I plant the first week of March during Texas public school week will it be too late. That is my Texas unit.
I am excited to see all these responses because it would be great to do.

[Ludwig]

If you freeze the seed, there should be no need to crack them... the freezing should do that. Nature would cause them to germinate sometime in the first two weeks of February if they were out of doors but I don't know how to time them for indoor germination. Yes, one can buy pantlets at most nurseries and that may be the more fool-proof way to go. They will need at least six hours of full sun per day but I don't think that the heat of that much sun through window glass would be beneficial thus I would suggest full-spectrum artificial lighting set up on a timer. I would guess that two plants per three inch pot would do quite well. They like to live close together.

[JoAnn Purser]

Wouldn't a great part of this be the discussion of the seeding process that plants go through too?

I'm thinking that when the plants seed in a few weeks couldn't the kids participate in harvesting seeds from plants this next month?

Then the kids would learn that naturally some plants produce its own regeneration and that some don't make it.

Just a thought as the existing plants now could provide some education now too. (Blooms, cat claw, seeding, germination, sprouts, blooms)

Oh, and you could have current class kids take a bluebonnet pic for next years students and teach how legacies of kids and families enjoy the past and future germination of this flower and how proper care ensures this.

[lovetoread]

That is a great idea JoAnn. Growing inside does sound hard if not impossible. Maybe if we can see the whole process and get seeds we can grow outside. I am excited and off to do some research.

[lovetoread]

This is another question for JoAnn. I was going to send a pm but I have gotten so much information I thought I would try. First question...does anybody know the difference between Indian Paintbrush and bud bonnets. Right now were have ladybugs growing as well. Normally we do butterfly's but the budget was small this year. First grade has chicken eggs and I believe second has ducks. I know everything cost money but spring is the time to grow things. I am going to get my own butterfly's but let my kids grow at home. JoAnn you have plants that attract ladybugs by your rental office. Could we release there. It would not be the whole class because we can't afford busses. I also wanted to get tadpoles and grow frogs. Any suggestion? I have killed many a batch. I would also like to show the inside of a cactus. Ideas? This all has to be cheap as possible. JoAnn was so right I want to show beginning to end. I have the time coming up and want to explore life/science and real world. Also remember they are 5. These experiences will stay with them

[JoAnn Purser]

LTR at the end of Autumn Valley Road there is a garden that has several species that butterflies will love in a few weeks when they start to bud and bloom. Salvia, butterfly bush etc.

I have not heard of bud bonnets unless it its blue and the difference between those and paintbrush is that paintbrush look like a bottle brush in shape and are a reddish/orange color. Hobby Lobby have silks that you could use as examples. That with yellow cone flower (Mexican Hat) make a simply beautiful Texas arrangement.

Regarding cactus. There is some native cactus on Trimmier Road/ Freda Lane that was transplanted from the original rancher at Stagecoach and Trimmier. The interesting thing about cactus is the fact that if ranchers, farmers shred cactus the pieces that fall onto the ground will root and spread the plant. Very frustrating for some. Some love it to produce vegetation for livestock in the summer. If ranchers and farmers would take the time to burn off the thorns with fire, this would allow the livestock (cow and deer) to eat it. There are special burning tools for that purpose.

The problem with too much cactus; livestock can be injured from the thorns and if they get an abscess they spend more energy healing than growing.

[Ludwig]

There are over 90 specie of cactus native to Texas. Which ones are you interested in propagating?

Check out: http://www.thehibbitts.net/Cactus/TXCactus/Home.html

[lovetoread]

I just thought it would be neat to see the inside. The outside is so thorny and the inside is not. I told my children that Native Americans have eaten them for years. I also explained that moisture is inside. I don't want to grow them I think I already have my hands full. Last year we had painted lady butterfly's we grew and released. The problem is the kids try to catch them and then kill them. I am not impressed with the lady bugs. They are small and the change is not as dramatic. We thought it would be fun and different. I can order the painted ladies and release them in JoAnn's area. I can send pictures and the kids won't kill them that way. I just want to take advantage of all spring has to offer now that it is really here. I can't take the kids places but I can bring things to them.

[lovetoread]

I can't wait until tomorrow. Now. I have to learn how to post pictures from my cell phone.

[Rick]

It is easy with the Tapatalk app. It's the best.

[kantwin]

It is easy with the Tapatalk app. It's the best.
I still prefer ForumRunner.

[Scarlett]

I still prefer ForumRunner.

Me too

[Imagine]

That is a great idea JoAnn. Growing inside does sound hard if not impossible. Maybe if we can see the whole process and get seeds we can grow outside. I am excited and off to do some research.

And for language arts include the legend if the bluebonnet http://www.coedu.usf.edu/culture/Story/Story_Texas.htm

There is a beautifully illustrated book by DePaulo (hope I'm remembering the name correctly; it's been many, many blue moons since I taught the younglings)

There is alo a legend of the paintbrush not as widely known; blooms about the same time as bluebonnet s and often seen together

[Yellowstone Man]

One way that I have found to increase the odds of germination in bluebonnet seeds is to scarify them by rubbing them against a rough surface for a few minutes. You can even put them under your foot on the sidewalk and sort of roll them around. Planting them in the Fall and providing adequate irrigation will allow the seed to germinate. The plant will overwinter as a floret and bloom in the Spring. Another fun thing for students is to make seed balls in class. We used to tie it in with a reading of Johnny Appleseed or something similar. Wildflower seeds can be mixed into a seeding mixture by the kids, shaped into round balls and then they can take the balls home and scatter them.

[Grammar Rules]

And for language arts include the legend if the bluebonnet http://www.coedu.usf.edu/culture/Story/Story_Texas.htm

There is a beautifully illustrated book by DePaulo (hope I'm remembering the name correctly; it's been many, many blue moons since I taught the younglings)

There is alo a legend of the paintbrush not as widely known; blooms about the same time as bluebonnet s and often seen together

The author is Tommi Dipaolo. Love her books.