Saturday, November 17, 2012

Wildflowers And Lady Bird Johnson

Yellow Daisies, Stone Mountain, Georgia. USA - September 9, 2012.
I'm optimistic that the world of native plants will not only survive, but will thrive for environmental and economic reasons, and for reasons of the heart. Beauty in nature nourishes us and brings joy to the human spirit, it also is one of the deep needs of people everywhere.    Lady Bird Johnson

We have had some very wonderful First Ladies in this country but one of my favorites is Lady Bird Johnson. (Born Claudia Alta Taylor, her nursemaid declared her "as pretty as a ladybird" and that is what she was called.)  She, along with her good friend, Helen Hayes, founded the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.   Please, read about her wonderful work to make this country and the world learn the importance of native wildflowers at the following website:  http://www.wildflower.org/

The U.S. Postal Service will come out with stamps honoring Lady Bird Johnson in December and they will be FOREVER stamps, which make them even more special.  The first stamp is her official White House portrait and the others were first issued in the 60's paying tribute to her beautification efforts in that decade.  Growing up during that time, I can tell you that I appreciate so very much the Beautification Act of 1965:  junk yards had to be disguised by a wall of tall bushes, the wildflower plantings along the major highways and the flower beds and trees for the city parks.  (Just a personal note, I see that she became an Episcopalian and worshiped at the same church for many years.  After she died, she made sure to leave the money for the church to pay off their mortgage.  Just a little footnote that I read, but I thought it was typical of her nature.)  Can you tell that I admire this woman so very much?  I am so grateful for all that she did in her long life and I am thankful that we can appreciate her lasting legacy.
At the top of my post is a photo from Stone Mountain showing the plants that grow there.  A few years ago, I only knew a few of them, but after our time on Arabia Mountain, I am happy to tell you that I know ALL of them and what is more, I think that Richard has taken some better photos of them than the ones that they have depicted here for you on this plaque.  (We call the spiderwort "Tradescantia", because the botanical name is so dignified!)
 
It is not only for beauty that we need to keep our native plants but it is also just plain common sense as it holds the soil together!  There will be another Ken Burns documentary that will be shown very soon and it is called "The Dust Bowl".  Are you aware of this tragic man-made disaster from the 1930's America? You might want to look out for this new film about a very sad period which, from all accounts, looks as if it could have been avoided. 
Wild beautyberry atop Stone Mountain- Nov. 3, 2012.
 
Wildflowers, enjoy them wherever you are in this world!  I will leave you with another quote from Lady Bird...
"The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become.
 

39 comments:

  1. Kay, I love wildflowers. One of my favorites is Queen Anne's lace. Smiles, Susie

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    1. Susie, so do I! And Queen Anne's Lace is something that I think I have seen in the mountains. There are so many if we only take the time to look!

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  2. I love Lady Bird's site and have used it quite often. I did not know that Helen Hayes was a co-founder. My father was a small child during the dust bowl and I remember him telling stories about it. It was a horrible time. I look forward to the stamps coming out (just another reason to not kill the post office)!
    Thanks for a great post!

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    1. Why you are so welcome! Glad to see your comment here! I love Helen Hayes. I might have to do a post about her also!
      I think the Dust Bowl on PBS comes on tonight. This was glossed over when I was in school, I hope that they teach children about it now, or else their parents let them watch PBS!

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  3. I share your admiration for Ladybird Johnson. I think the roadside beautification projects she started are a wonderful legacy. So often we rush through life without noticing the little things like wildflowers, and she was so wise to both notice and encourage their propagation. I'm glad they're issuing a stamp in her honor. I'm surprised that they didn't issue one earlier, but I shall definitely be keeping an eye out for the new stamps. Thank you for a most interesting and informative post. Have a wonderful week, and a wonderful Thanksgiving. Peace and blessings to you and your family. Carol

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    1. Thanks, Carol! I am so glad that you like Lady Bird too, such a fantastic woman, I could have made this post so much longer. Like you, I am so pleased that they will have these stamps in her honor.
      Wishing you many wildflowers in your future!
      Wonderful week, wonderful Thanksgiving, peace and blessings...I love your words, thank you, and the same to you!

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  4. An interesting post about an interesting woman. I never knew before why she was called Lady Bird.

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    1. Thanks, and by this we know that we said "ladybird" before we started saying "ladybug". Of course, I like ladybird the best! :-)

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  5. I loved this most uplifting post, Kay! Lovely pics from Stone Mountain. I appreciate learning more about Lady Bird Johnson - all I knew up until now was that she was a well-loved former First Lady. She was a woman ahead of her time.

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    1. Thanks so much, Jane! I admire Lady Bird so much, all that she did and it was during some of the most turbulent times in our country! I am amazed at what she accomplished.

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  6. I always wondered why she was called Lady Bird! I do think Richard should volunteer to replace those photos with his own.

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  7. She had a keen insight, and i hope the rest of us heed what she and others have to say.

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    1. I think it is so important to preserve our native trees, flowers and grasses. The Dust Bowl comes on PBS tonight, don't miss it.

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  8. I never knew the story behind her name. I forgot what a lovely woman she was. She was a smart gal. xo Diana

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    1. Oh, yes so very smart! Did you know that not only was she this great champion of the environment but a very savvy businesswoman who amassed a tidy fortune starting with a radio station in Austin, Texas. A very smart cookie!

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  9. She made a real change in our world, making it more beautiful. On a smaller scale, Betty Ford did a lot of good work making beautiful public gardens in Aspen and other Colorado towns.

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    1. Betty Ford! Oh, I like her too, very much! Such a very honest, staightforward woman...when she went public with her breast cancer and then later, starting the Betty Ford Clinic. She is on my list of Favorite First Ladies too!. Now that you have told me that she worked on public gardens in Colorado, that makes me like her all the more.

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  10. It's fun to find out the details about some of the First Ladies of our country. It's wonderful that her work will benefit so many generations. It's also amazing what the power of "one" can do. We all play a big part in our environment.

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    1. I have never been to Washington, D.C. but many of the wonderful gardens and parks there are the direct result of Lady Bird's attentions. I want to see them one day!

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  11. What a great post, Kay. I had never heard of the Beautification Act. We have similar things in place through local planning laws but they are more recent than your Act. And you used one of my favourite quotes -

    Beauty in nature nourishes us and brings joy to the human spirit, it also is one of the deep needs of people everywhere. Lady Bird Johnson

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    1. Thanks, John! And you must realize that even as a child from the backseat of a car, I could see a HUGE difference once the Beautification Act went into effect. When I as a kid, there must have been a LOT of junkyards for cars where we lived, but after Lady Bird, all of them were hidden or taken away!
      And I am so glad that you like that quote too! :-)

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  12. Such a lot of interesting info in this post - why Lady Bird was called that, the Beautification Act. Thanks for sharing - you know I love wildflowers too. :)

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    1. Thanks, Sue! I wish YOU lots of wildflowers, always!

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  13. We are spoilt in New Zealand with many native plants and trees. They are an important source of food for our native birds.

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    1. Hey Paul!
      So good to see your comment here! I think that I would really like to see New Zealand. Do you know that I love birds as much as I love flowers? New Zealand must be fantastic!

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  14. A walk amongst countryside is good for us all, especially for those who live in cities. Well done that woman!

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    1. Well done, indeed! I just wish that more people knew more about her. She has been a hero to me since I was eight years old!

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  15. Once again, I learned a lot from your blog, Kay! I am just now catching up with reading the blogs I follow since I've been away for work all week. I knew little about Mrs. Johnson and always wondered about her funny name; how could anyone be called Ladybird? Now I know a bit more about her, thank you!

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    1. Welcome back, Meike!
      And thank you! You must know that this First Lady would be one of my favorites. She was the first one that I knew of to say that we should appreciate what is in our own back yard. That is just what I try to tell people about Arabia Mountain and Stone Mountain!

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  16. I admire Ladybird Johnson too. What a gift she gave not only the American people but all people. A wise and generous woman.

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    1. Yes, indeed! I hope that everyone can understand that what she tried to say applies not just to America but for the whole world.
      Thanks so very much for your comment!

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  17. Great stamps and a great quotes from Lady Bird Johnson. I love to see the wildflowers in bloom along the highways. What a spectacular project that was for all of us to enjoy.

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    1. What a wonderful legacy to leave us!
      Dear Rosemary, I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!

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  18. This is a lovely post about a lovely woman -- and beautiful flowers! Wildflowers are my favourites; they are untamed, natural, undisturbed. I didn't know all this about Lady Bird Johnson. What a wonderfully classy lady she was.

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    1. Martha, I KNEW you would love Lady Bird too! She is one of my heroes and I am so grateful for the work that she did trying so hard to make people understand the importance of native plants.

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  19. Noooo! You mean "Lady Bird" was not her given name?! I've always found her name very unique/strange and have wondered how she came to be given that name. I had no idea. Thanks for the info and the beautiful flowers and information.

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    1. Apparently, she really didn't care for her name. Lyndon simply called her "Bird".
      Thank YOU for your comment! Think I'll go have some sweet tea now! :-)

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  20. I was really grateful to Ladybird to put so much awareness into keeping our country beautiful. The roadways improved 1000% after her initiatives.

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