It’s that time of year again. A warm breeze inspires hope of cold days ending, the morning sun beckons the jewel-like glow of lime green new growth, and weekend gardeners gather their trowels, their poisons, and their resolve to annihilate the dreaded dandelion. How dare they dot your perfectly groomed carpets of thick grass.
WTF?
Those beautifully groomed green lawns are the bane of this planet’s existence, while dandelions can do nothing but good… for the dirt, for the pollinators, and for the delight of many young and young-at-heart folks. The long tap roots break up the soil. The lovely yellow flowers provide early fare for the pollinators that desperately need them, and every part of the plant is edible, nutritious, and delicious.
So, where did all this dandelion hate come from? Chemical corporations and marketing? I don’t know, but the bottom line is it’s all about keeping up with Joneses, and it serves no one.
I love how the dandelions announce spring with their joyful yellow faces and promise the future with their happy puffball seed heads. I collect the new leaves for salads and the flower heads for medicinals. Take care to leave two flowers for every one you pick.
As summer rolls in and the flower heads turn into the infamous lovely puffs of delicate, white fertility, I relish picking a few and launching their seeds into the air with just a gentle breath, an act that is both joyful and promises many more happy yellow flower heads in my future!