South of Houston, find a wildflower wonderland rivaling Hill Country
The Chron March 9, 2025
By Heide Brandes
Just 30 minutes south of Houston, the charming city of Alvin is quickly becoming Southeast Texas’ secret for experiencing Texas wildflowers without the Hill Country crowds. Part of the reason is HarBet Lodge, a 200-acre family ranch that opened to guests just two years ago. HarBet offers front-row seats to sprawling fields of golden blooms and scattered bluebonnets that transform the landscape into a photographer's dream.
In fact, the first bluebonnet has already appeared this year at HarBet, heralding the arrival of Texas most anticipated season. By mid-March, the ranch's entrance gate area will transform into a sea of color, becoming a popular spot for family photos. But it's the vast fields of yellow wildflowers stretching across the property that truly distinguish Alvin's floral display.
"A lot of people, when they think of wildflowers, they head to the Hill Country for the bluebonnets," said HarBet co-owner Cheryl Knape, who opened the ranch with husband Greg Knape in 2023. "But more and more people are discovering we have fields and fields of yellow flowers, along with clover, bluebonnets and paintbrushes right here close to the city."
From dairy farm to wildflower haven
The lodge itself tells a quintessentially Texan story. Named after Cheryl's in-laws Harold and Betty Knape, the property was once a working dairy. Harold Knape, who landscaped the grounds, lived by a simple philosophy: "What else do you have on this Earth except the love of the Lord, the love of the land, and love of your family?"
That reverence for the land continues. Cheryl, a Master Gardener, has seeded bluebonnets and wildflowers around the property's pond, while fields of clover flourish near the beehives. Last year, young guests learned to weave clover flower chains, decorating the property's four ponies with their creations.
"You know, the rural lifestyle is kind of disappearing," Cheryl Knape said. "We wanted to get people to understand and enjoy the peace and quiet and understand where your food comes from."
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom lodge offers more than just wildflower viewing. Guests can collect fresh eggs from chickens, pet mini horses, and even purchase grass-fed beef raised right on the property. The house features a large kitchen where visitors can prepare farm-to-table meals using locally sourced ingredients.
"We have beehives so you could get our fresh honey. You could go to Froberg Farms for your veggies and one of their great fried pies,” Knape said. “You could run down to Haak Winery (in nearby Santa Fe) for a bottle of wine, then create your whole meal and sit outside.”
The Froberg's Farm fruit and vegetable stand. "The first thing that you're going to hit is Froberg’s Farm on Highway 6," said Froberg's Farm Owner Tyler Froberg. "But then as you dive deeper, we have so many cool, family owned places and restaurants in Alvin of all different kinds."
Exploring Alvin and beyond
First-time visitors to Alvin often have a moment of revelation.
"When you turn off of 288 coming out of Houston, you turn onto Highway 6, you're thinking, 'Where am I going?'" said Tyler Froberg, owner of Froberg's Farm. "The first thing that you're going to hit is Froberg's Farm on Highway 6. But then as you dive deeper, we have so many cool, family owned places and restaurants in Alvin of all different kinds."
The city boasts unexpected attractions that combine rural charm with family entertainment. Froberg's Farm itself is a comprehensive destination where visitors can "pick flowers, pick strawberries, watch the pig races, listen to music, ride tractor rides, all sorts of stuff," according to Froberg. The farm also features a community grocery store, cannery and bakery, and raises everything from Christmas trees to pigs and chickens.
Beyond these attractions, Alvin offers several other points of interest for nature enthusiasts. Camp Mohawk, just two miles from HarBet Lodge, features hiking trails and has been home to bald eagles for about a decade. Garden lovers can time their visit to coincide with the Alvin Garden Tour in April.
For those seeking vintage experiences, Alvin delivers unexpected treasures.
"We have a skating rink that is legendary. People come from everywhere," Froberg said. "We have a little two-screen movie theater and people love that vintage feel."
Alvin is strategically positioned for day trips, sitting between Houston to the north, NASA to the southeast, and Galveston's beaches beyond. Local food destinations include Stanton's, a century-old general store making homemade sausage and other specialties, alongside those numerous family owned restaurants.
The fifth-generation fruit-and-vegetable Froberg's Farm has become a popular destination for flower enthusiasts and families alike. While not technically wildflowers, their cultivated blooms offer another floral experience in the area.
"People see all the colors and assume they are wildflowers. We raise tulips, zinnias and sunflowers," Froberg said. "It's really popular for taking pictures, both for professional and social media use. And then people just love picking them too."
Beyond the cultivated blooms at Froberg's and the wild displays at HarBet, the Alvin wildflower experience offers a different perspective than the more famous Hill Country displays. Here, the show begins in February with those expansive yellow blooms and continues through April when clover fields buzz with returning bees.
As development from Houston creeps ever closer, places like HarBet Lodge preserve a vanishing way of life.
