Under a Winter Spell
The Wildflower Center doesn’t often get blanketed with snow, but Texas weather is always one to surprise. Last week, we went from an 84-degree Monday with purple coneflowers blooming to a freezing cold Thursday with rare, giant fluffy snowflakes flying through the air to alight on tiny tongues that had never before tasted snow.
When the Austin “blizzard” of 2017 arrived, we were just putting the final touches on extensive lighting for our Luminations celebration, which ran from Dec. 7 – 10. It made for a visually spectacular and magical evening. Have a look:
The Visitors Gallery and Tower illuminated with snow and colorful holiday splendor. PHOTO Bill J. Boyd
Guests walked past our lighted aqueduct into a true winter wonderland. PHOTO Earl McGehee
Spotlights from the Visitors Gallery created quite the spectacle in our Savanna Meadow. PHOTO Earl McGehee
Visitors entering the Family Garden during heavy snowfall. PHOTO Bill J. Boyd
The snow may already have melted, but there are still wintry activities at the Center over the next few weeks:
Learn how to keep plants happy through the cold with an expert horticulturist at our Winter Care for Native Plants class on Jan. 6.
Need a fun Saturday activity to entertain the kiddos? Check out our Children’s Book Fair on Jan. 6.
Join us for Winter Tree Fest on Jan. 27, when we’ll celebrate Texas trees with family-friendly activities, tree climbing, s’mores and a tree sale.
And, the Wildflower Center will now be open during the holidays, with normal hours aside from being closed on Dec. 24, 25 and 31 and Jan. 1.