Joann Merritt's Essays

Dedication Speech For Native Plant Garden At Bowie Elementary School
March 31, 1995

Wild things! Make my heart sing! The wild things I’m talking about are flowers - Texas Wildflowers. Although I can’t carry a tune and sing about wildflowers with my voice, my heart is in tune with the earth and nature, therefore my heart can sing. One way that I express the wildflower songs in my heart is by talking about them. How many of you were in my classes today and heard my wildflower stories? I’ll bet you thought that was just my voice you heard, but that was also my heart singing.

There are many different ways to enjoy wildflowers, one is by having a Native Plant Garden like yours here at Bowie. I have a wildflower garden at my home that is in the shape of a butterfly with a wingspan of 20 feet. Some people like to dig in the earth, plant seeds and watch them grow, others like to photograph the flowers. Perhaps you have some artistic talent, you might draw pictures. This is a good way to notice the shape of the flower petals, their leaves and how they grow on the stem. Learning the names of wildflowers and why they are so named is interesting. I consider wildflowers my friends and want to know their names, just as I like to know yours. If you like to read you can purchase books or check them out at the library. I read a story about how the Sunflower got its name - it’s because the bloom follows the sun from east to west each day, always facing the sun. You can read Indian legends, folklore and stories from Greek mythology.

My favorite activity is to walk among a patch of wildflowers in bloom, recognize them and call them by name. If you’re walking along speaking to wildflowers - Good Morning, Buttercup - Hi, there Chocolate Daisy - Yo! Goldenrod - people may wonder what you are doing and if they ask, then that’s a perfect opportunity for you to tell them about Texas Wildflowers. Most people don’t realize what nature has to offer, especially here in Midland where we don’t get a lot of rain.

Lady Bird Johnson is the wife of a former President of the United States who has done more to promote the use of wildflowers in Texas than anyone else. When you enjoy the wildflowers growing along the Hill Country roadsides it is because of her efforts in getting the Highway Department to sow the seed and then not mow the flowers until their seeds mature. She says Wildflowers are the love of my life, this true story illustrates that fact. One spring day she was driving along in the Hill Country near her home enjoying the wildflowers when she came upon a farmer plowing in his field. She stopped her car, approached the farmer and offered to lease his land if he would leave the flowers,he agreed and the pretty flowers were saved. Mrs. Johnson also said “Wildflowers enrich my life, feed my soul and give beautiful memories to sustain me.”

We are making our own beautiful memory today as we celebrate Texas Day at Bowie Elementary by dedicating this Native Plant Garden. My wish for all of you is that you will have many beautiful wildflower memories. Good Memories & Good Day