The Longest Garden

The Longest Garden. . In 1994, the States of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas formed a partnership to develop a national wildflower corridor, a virtual garden reaching from the Canadian border to Mexico. Encouraged by Mrs. Lyndon "Ladybird" Johnson, a massive program to restore native grasses and wildflowers along highways and roadways was set in motion. On the Texas leg of the Prairie Passage there are more than 5,000 species of native grasses and wildflowers, including such Lone Star favorites as Bluebonnet, Indian Paint Brush, Indian Blanket and Texas Bluebell. Each year, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) purchases and sows about 30,000 pounds of wildflower seeds. This Safety Rest Area is an important stop on the Prairie Passage. The peak wildflower season is in the Spring, but TxDOT has selected species that will provide color most of the year. In keeping with the facility's agrarian theme, planting areas were created adjacent to the facility with parallel bands of landscape beds that resemble field crops. A special effort has been made to conserve natural resources. Rainwater is channeled via an aqueduct from the facility's rooftops into an underground tank which harvests rainwater for supplemental landscape irrigation. The aqueduct also functions as a gateway welcoming visitors to the site., Captions , (Photo #1) Frank Wolf/LBJ Library via Associated Press