Poppy Fields: This house on a corner lot near downtown Georgetown, Texas featured thousands of red poppy blooms in March. The red blooms covered much of the front yard and continued down the side yard, which created a stunning corner view. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Close Up: A close up view of the red poppy bloom reveals the beauty and detail of the fragile flower. The red poppy has become a symbol remembrance of fallen soldiers in times of war and hope and peace for the future. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Georgetown, Texas, a city of approximately 67,000 located about 25 miles north of Austin, Texas, is known for its beautiful downtown area with historical buildings filled with shops, restaurants, and is anchored by a stately courthouse in the town square. The Georgetown square in the downtown area was named the most beautiful town square in the state. But Georgetown is also known as the “Red Poppy Capital of Texas”.
Red poppies grow naturally in Europe but are not common in the Texas. So how did the red poppies arrive in Georgetown? A soldier from Georgetown was serving in World War I in Europe in an area where red poppies grow wild. Since the red poppy is the symbol of hope and peace, he sent a packet of red poppy seeds to his mother in Georgetown and she planted the seeds.
Not only did the red poppies grow, but they also thrived in the ideal conditions in Georgetown. With the help of wind, birds, and seeding by others, the number of plants grew yearly. The red poppy also reseeds annually and the plant can spread as it regrows every year.
The residents of Georgetown enjoyed the red blooms and saw beauty in the fields of flowers and the red poppy tradition in Georgetown, Texas was born. Seeds are planted in the fall and the plants bloom in March and April. The timing of the number of blooms can vary depending on weather conditions, amounts of water and other factors.
The city of Georgetown has now embraced the red poppy for more than 100 years. To celebrate, the city began holding a Red Poppy Festival in 1990. The festival runs for three days in late April every year. It is a weekend celebration with a parade, an art show, a car show and many other activities. Thousands attend the festival every April.
We visited friends in Georgetown at the end of March this spring and were treated to a bumper crop of red poppies. There are maps available to view the flowers which are concentrated in the downtown area and nearby neighborhoods. We drove and walked several streets and were amazed at the blooms and the beauty of the poppy fields in the residential area.
The spring is a great time to visit the hill country of Texas, which features the bluebonnets throughout the region and the red poppies in Georgetown. When in the area in March and April one should take time to admire the colorful display of nature. Hopefully, you will experience a banner year for the blooms as we did in 2023.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Fence Line: Red poppies add color to a fence line at a property in Georgetown, Texas. The beautiful blooms are present for several weeks during March and April each spring. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Red and White: The striking red poppy blooms blowing in the breeze add contrast and color to the white fence in the background. The landscape of many properties in Georgetown, Texas are highlighted in red every spring. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Mailbox and Poppies: A black mailbox stands in the midst of a field of red poppies at a residence in Georgetown. The contrast in the bright red color of the blooms and the black mailbox created an interesting scene. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Street View: Google maps should create street view photos in Georgetown, Texas. during the spring poppy season. The luminous red flowers would make a beautiful site when photos are created with many yards filled with the colorful blooms. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com