Accompanied by a cool breeze last Saturday, parents and children ambled around a field scattering bluebonnet seeds near a trail at Phelps Lake in Rockwall.
Susie McBride, 9, said she often rides her bike past the spot on outings so she’s looking forward to the blue and white flowers blooming.
Susie’s mom, Tena McBride, said the late parents of her husband, James, loved bluebonnets.
“Whenever we see them on the side of the road, it’s a photo opportunity,” she said, adding that the park will be a safer location than alongside the highway.
“And this is a beautiful spot to plant them,” James McBride said.
More than 50 people were brought together by the Friends of Raymond Cameron Lake Park, a grassroots organization of neighbors who want to help preserve the natural habitat.
People congregated around Rockwall Community Playhouse member Maddie Rosenbalm, 13, as she recited “The Legend of the Bluebonnet,” and Richardson High School drum major Allison Sharp, 16, who played flute in the background.
Rosenbalm said she was excited to read the story of a Comanche girl who sacrifices her cherished doll in an effort to bring rain in the midst of a terrible drought. Along with a downpour, the Great Spirit brings bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas.
“When the bluebonnets are all over, she wakes up on the mountain and gets to see everything she’s done,” Rosenbalm said of the legend. “It’s an awesome story because of everything she did to help everyone. Even though she was young, she had that understanding.”
Muslin bags filled with bluebonnet seeds were passed around and participants sprinkled them across a half-acre area.
“Who knew they looked like little rocks?” said Misty Silva, a Quail Run resident. “It’s very cool.”
Misty and her husband, John, had walked to the park with their daughters — Elizabeth, 8, and Gwendolyn, 6.
“This is another one of those moments when they’re glad mom made them come,” Misty Silva said.
The kids ran to Betty Owens, who read off the winning tickets in a raffle for T-shirts that said “Be a good ancestor” on the back.
“My favorite was when a little girl gave the 14-month-old a ticket and it was the winning ticket,” said member Jeanne Davis, who lives in downtown Rockwall. “I think they loved it, especially the T-shirts. I also think whether they know it or not, they learned a lot about bluebonnets.”
Member Donna Dorman, Owens’ daughter, said membership within the group is very fluid.
“We just have a common interest,” Dorman said. “It’s beautiful and we want to keep it that way. Literally, we sit on our back porch and say, ‘Hey, what do you want to do next?’ ”
She said the organization hopes to grow the event year after year to help the bluebonnets spread throughout more of the park.
Robbie LeMore, a member of Friends of Raymond Cameron Lake Park, came up with the idea for the event.
“I just thought for the kids that they might get a kick out of it and then next spring, if they can wait that long, they can see them bloom,” said LeMore, who lives in the Caruth Lake neighborhood.
Andy Hesser, Rockwall Parks and Recreation manager, said there are few, if any, bluebonnet spots around the city. Hesser took some of the Friends members around the lake to choose a spot that would be best for the event.
“I wanted to think of spots that would be feasible,” Hesser said. “Then I drove them around, and we found a spot that’s very visible from the trail.”
Hesser said the bluebonnet initiative is a great example of what the city would like to see more of through its Volunteers in Parks program.
“There’s lots of things we’d like to do, but we just don’t have the resources. So when volunteers step up, they really get things done,” Hesser said.
LeMore said she had been searching for a tight-knit community when she made the move to Rockwall in 2011.
“I lived in Dallas for 35 years and there’s nothing like this,” she said of bringing neighbors together. “I was just thrilled. I’ve never been a part of something like that. I’m so fortunate to finally find a place like this.”
Rockwall/Rowlett editor Liz Farmer can be reached at 214-977-8027.
