Bloom Where You’re Planted Or Plant Yourself Where You Can Bloom?
It’s easy to look at the views in the Hill Country and forget that those unspoiled vistas are scenes in an untamed world.
Every now and then you see something to remind you that the backdrop of those pretty vistas can be tough. (The lumber companies here carry more than 2X4’s and concrete.)
These wildflowers (Mountain Pinks, or Centarium Beyrichii, if I’ve found them correctly in my wildflower reference books) are one of my favorite examples of making it in a difficult environment.
I find these growing in the caliche at the side of our country road. You can see from the photos how they thrive in what looks at first glance like an exceptionally hostile world for a plant.
They stay small and fit themselves in where the few drops of available water are likely to collect. These specimens were no more than 6 inches tall, nestled at the base of a small rocky slope where water would drain down from the top and the left sides of the photo.
I love the mountain pinks. The contrast between their delicacy and the harsh environment they seem to prefer (or at least thrive in) is wonderful.
I always look forward to when they appear along the side of our road. They seem to love one little stretch of the road shoulder, I’d guess about 100 yards long, where they are denser than anywhere else. Lucky for me, much of the area they love is in front of my property.