Is a dandelion a clever yellow flower
that turns into a galaxy of silvery stars or a weed?
~A.A.
Milne,
Eyeore
from Winnie the Pooh
Butterlicious
Look upon me with unfettered and unbiased eyes and mindfulness.
A rose by any other name
ask any child
and you will see.
ask any child
and you will see.
See for yourself below the many attributes, characteristics, family values in the elegant but much-maligned dandelion.
They have brothers and sisters, bridesmaids, sometimes thinning hair, like us they sometimes feel down for the count, they enjoy kissing, their families include children, parents, grandparents, like us they gossip, tell secrets, love group hugs, think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, are ticklish, and like us eventually, they get old and share the joys and pitfalls of aging.
Do not the descriptions below personify these flowers as cherishable and not villains at all?
Bashful
Bee’s early spring snack
*If you still do not want dandelions but wish to help save bees, please avoid using herbicides and pesticides. Consider adding clover and early blooming native trees, shrubs, and perennial flowers.
See my posting Grow Native
There's a safer way to have a dandelion-free lawn! Let the grass grow 3 or 4 inches tall to shade out the sun-loving dandelions - to have a thriving, healthy yard that is safe for kids, pets, and wildlife.
Family (Floweramily)
Before and After
Who made marigold a flower
and dandelion a weed
who conditioned us
Vermonters who take pride in independent thinking
to cherish one golden buttercup
and abolish another?
Will you take a pledge to help save the honeybees, native solitary bees, and bumblebees who work so efficiently to pollinate our flowers, trees, and food crops? They wake up as hungry as bears in early spring, looking for food that dandelions bring. Will you take the pledge to appreciate the beauty and value of dandelions, the roses of children everywhere?
*Honeybees flock to
dandelions both in the early spring and in times of dearth when little else is
in bloom. Unlike some other pollen plants, dandelions are only a mediocre food
source. (Moderately nutritious.) Although not native, dandelions are one of the first flowers available to pollinators in the early spring. Dandelions provide
for hoverflies, butterflies, moths, larvae, beetles, and goldfinches. And blowing puffballs is fun at any age!and dandelion a weed
who conditioned us
Vermonters who take pride in independent thinking
to cherish one golden buttercup
and abolish another?
Will you take a pledge to help save the honeybees, native solitary bees, and bumblebees who work so efficiently to pollinate our flowers, trees, and food crops? They wake up as hungry as bears in early spring, looking for food that dandelions bring. Will you take the pledge to appreciate the beauty and value of dandelions, the roses of children everywhere?
*If you still do not want dandelions but wish to help save bees, please avoid using herbicides and pesticides. Consider adding clover and early blooming native trees, shrubs, and perennial flowers.
See my posting Grow Native
There's a safer way to have a dandelion-free lawn! Let the grass grow 3 or 4 inches tall to shade out the sun-loving dandelions - to have a thriving, healthy yard that is safe for kids, pets, and wildlife.
Family (Floweramily)
Big Brother - Rocket Launchers
If you catch a flying dandelion seed, you can make a wish.
Before and After
Bridesmaids
Brother and sister sharing a secret
Come on out, the weather is fine
Cotton Mouth
Curls
Uncle Dew-ey
Daytime Stars
Diminished but not forgotten
Brush off
Down for the count
Drop it right here, right here into my mitt
Finally, my chance to shine in the limelight
Fly in the works
Foreshadowed by my brother 
Grandma and the
Grandpa
Why did your hair turn white, grandma and grandpa?
Ask your ma and pa!.
Ask your ma and pa!.
The grass is greener on the other side
Dandelions are good for your lawn. Their wide-spreading roots loosen hard-packed soil, aerate the earth and help reduce erosion. The deep taproot pulls nutrients such as calcium from deep in the soil and makes them available to other plants. Dandelions actually fertilize the grass.
Group hug
Hair transplant
Hee hee, that tickles
Just plain pretty
Pucker up
K I S S I N G
Lion’s teeth
The name dandelion is taken from the French word “dent de lion” meaning lion's tooth, referring to the coarsely-toothed leaves.
The name dandelion is taken from the French word “dent de lion” meaning lion's tooth, referring to the coarsely-toothed leaves.
Looked up to
Maple-butter
Mid-day droop
Missing a slipper
Mom, Dad, and the Kids
Opening the curtains
(Delicate) Operation
Peek-a-boo
Pedal faster, faster, more petalling
Self-Portrait
Primeval
Push, push, and breathe.
Come on you can do it.
Senior advantage
Retirement Home
They drive by, but they never stop to see us
Growing old together
Silver-hair
Sleeping in the Middle
Snarls - Ouch!
Stampede
Morning after
Tired, just plain tired
Twilight Twins
Before you start mowing your lawn, consider the alternative of allowing at least a portion of your yard to become a mini-meadow. Remember how much fun you experienced as a child, exploring the tall grasses, watching the seed stalks sway in the breeze, picking wildflowers.
Also, consider overseeding lawn areas with Dutch white clover.
Interesting facts about clover:
- Its ability to fix nitrogen makes it a quality green manure. Very resistant to trampling, it can accompany the grass or even replace it.
- Flower nectar is a delight for butterflies, bees, and bumblebees.
- Clover flower tea is a nice drink and the leaves are eaten in salads or cooked.
- Planting clover attracts pollinators and beneficial insects.
- Plants it near vegetable garden or orchard to attract pollinators.
- White clover is a tough plant, it enriches the soil with nitrogen
\
Twist of fate
Up and at ‘em
When I grow up I want to be as tall as a tree
Where has all the time gone?
Yellow bonnets
Yummy
I am the sun in the sky of green
I am the golden summer queen
I’m the friend to every child
Because I’m strong, bright, and wild.
Grown-ups cut me when they mow-
Forget they loved me years ago.
But when I’m gone, then don’t you sorrow.
I’ll be back again tomorrow.
-Else Holmelund Minarik
Dandelions are a source of vitamins A, B, C, and D, as
well as minerals such as iron, potassium, and zinc.
One Cautionary note about dandelions and their possible impacts: There are some concerns as they have allelopathic pollen & are a low protein source.
Pollen allelopathy is a phenomenon when pollen chemicals (e.g., phenols, terpenoids, sesquiterpene lactones, etc.) inhibit sexual reproduction in heterospecific individuals due to the influencing of fertilization (Murphy 1992)
However, this from Randy Mitchell, Professor of Biology, University of Akron.
On balance I think dandelions are good for bees. They produce lots of nectar and pollen that is readily accessible to the bees, and at a time when it’s hard for bees to find food. They are most common in urban areas where they won’t affect native plants.
The pollen allelopathy can have some negative effects on other plants, but in my experience, it is not a big enough problem on its own (in most places) to be a big issue for most plants. I have absolutely no concern in yards and gardens, and a little bit in wild areas if there are a LOT of dandelions.
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For more information on dandelions view these links
Foraging Dandelions
How to make Dandelion wine and cookies.
Dandelion egg noodles.
Dandelion Pesto
Dandelion Hand Cream
Check out the BAND OF THE LAND Singing Wildflower
Adopt me Dandelion Pesto
Dandelion Hand Cream
Check out the BAND OF THE LAND Singing Wildflower
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