Wildflower Center Pays Tribute to Namesake

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center will pay tribute to the woman who got the center started.

To commemorate the day former President Lyndon Johnson presented his wife with 50 pens he used to sign beautification laws she inspired, the center will offer free admission and several activities this Sunday.

Center spokesperson Barbra Rodriguez said Mrs. Johnson, "[R]ecognized that native landscapes were of value, and she wanted to help promote the study of their usefulness and also help other people understand them and their beauty and why they were more than just beautiful. ”

Mrs. Johnson and actress Helen Hayes launched the center in 1982 on Johnson family property by the Colorado River. It became such a popular attraction that the center was moved to its current South Austin location in 1995. Lady Bird Johnson died in July 2007.

For more information on the event click on wildflower.org.