Fredericksburg, TX
Seed Farm & Vineyards
Seed Farm & Vineyards
After graduating from Sam Houston State University, John and Marilyn Thomas were married and embarked on their adventures together. John started working with his father, helping grow rice and raise cattle for seven years on the ranch in Eagle Lake, Texas.
Using what he learned from these years at Eagle Lake, John moved on to start a business called American Hydro-Grass in Houston, Texas. Various landscaping companies used the hydro grass in their own businesses, but they couldn’t find wildflower seeds. With the knowledge gained from farming, John began to plant wildflowers at the Eagle Lake property beginning in 1981.
Wildseed Farms officially started at Eagle Lake in 1982. John continued to plant wildflowers, and this in turn drew curious people to view the flowers in their glory. As roads were packed with more and more cars over the years, it became obvious this was an attraction that could draw a crowd. In 1989 the decision was made to open the production fields to the public.
People began to flock from Houston and the surrounding areas to look at the fields of flowers. A hay barn was renovated, and Marilyn put her business savvy into starting a gift shop. The business quickly outgrew its humble origins. John and Marilyn knew they needed to expand and began searching for the perfect spot.
In 1993, Wildseed Farms bought approximately 217 acres near Fredericksburg, Texas increasing the companies farming land to over 600 acres. Starting in tents on the newly purchased farm, Marilyn’s gift shop was a continued success. Quickly realizing they needed more space Wildseed Farms began construction of the iconic Market Center in 1995. The retail store continues to be one of the most unique stops in the Fredericksburg area with a wide selection of home décor, ladies’ apparel, jewelry, and seeds. A true shopping experience worth sharing!!
The BrewBonnet offers a wide variety of gourmet food items including jams, jellies, salsas, pickled veggies, and so much more.
We have 4 new beers on tap: BrewBonnet Lager, BrewBonnet IPA, BrewBonnet Weizenbock, and the BrewBonnet Hefeweizen.
Enjoy a deli sandwich, a salad, or a cheese and fruit platter followed by the best peach soft serve around.
Complete with a large fireplace and multiple big screens, the Brewbonnet is the place to kick back grab a beer and watch the game.
The Lantana Nursery is one of the largest plant nurseries in the Central Texas area. Offering both native and adaptive plants, as well as unique succulents and cactus, everyone is sure to find exactly what they are looking for.
Additionally, the Nursery is a great place to find fun and beautiful garden accents, outdoor décor pieces, pottery, and gardening products.
With trained employees knowledgeable in growing both native and adaptive plants across the nation, we look forward to helping not only the gardening professional, but also the weekend weeding warrior.
To provide our guests with the opportunity to get in the flowers, Wildseed Farms has nearly half an acre of walking trails.
The trails are wheelchair accessible and wide enough to fully accommodate both strollers and wagons, ensuring the entire family will be able to enjoy this wonder of nature and farming.
The trails are surrounded by wildflower production fields and vineyards. Complete with serene seating areas throughout the paths, the gardens are an ideal place to relax and enjoy mother nature.
On the path for both butterfly and hummingbird migrations, the gardens offer a rare place to admire the multiple species that pass through the Hill Country.
The Thomas family decided to put their five generations of farming and harvesting experience into the planting of their first vineyard in 2015. Initially, just Tempranillo and Mourvedre were planted. Since then, the vineyard has expanded to its current 42 acres. Currently the vineyard includes 13 different varieties. More plantings are planned in the future to provide the grapes for estate wines. With the addition of the vineyard, Wildseed wines were a natural progression.
Wildseed Vineyards ventured into wine production during the summer of 2019. Starting with just Tempranillo and Mourvèdre, production now includes a full range of wines, including both Hill Country and High Plains grapes. Currently, Wildseed Vineyards is proud to serve white, rose, and red wine made from estate grapes. Our tasting room offers visitors an opportunity to taste 100% Texas wines.
Launched in the spring of 2021, our unique tasting room opened, and the Thomas family officially started on their new adventure. We hope you join us on the exciting addition to the business and become a part of the Wildseed legacy. The Thomas family is enormously proud of all the hard work that has gone into the production of their wines. Hopefully, you can taste the dedication to the vineyard as you enjoy the fine wines made from the grapes found here at Wildseed Vineyards.