Monday, April 12, 2010

Why are dandelions a bad thing?

Why do so many people have a problem with finding dandelions in their yards? What is so bad about them? They are pretty, easy to take care of, come back year after year, and cost nothing to care for.

Mind you, I understand why we don't like them in our flower beds and vegetable gardens. They choke out our "wanted" plants and take over the whole place in no time at all. They are hard to completely get rid of without coating all our plants in harsh, harmful, deadly chemicals and are a pain to try to pull up.

But why such a fuss over them in the yard? They are beautiful! Why fight them? Why fuss and holler and complain when year after year, they are just going to come back? Why not accept them and take them for what they are. A gift of beauty from our loving Father. Meant to be pleasing to the eye. They can also be pleasing to the mouth. Yes, you can eat them! Here is a great article (from one of my favorite bloggers) on the many uses of each part of the dandelion.

So weed them out, kill them off, spray them with weed killer, pluck them from every corner of your garden, yard and side walk. But as for my yard, they stay! :o)





2 comments:

  1. I recently commented on a blog (see note below) I follow about activities you can do with young daughters. This is a twist on the use of a dandelion, but I thought it would be a good comment on yours as well. Yea for the Dandelions!!! you got my vote!
    Christine said:
    Hi Lauren,
    More ideas: Dandeliion Dress. In Northern Michigan winter is passionately desirous of its own virtues waring constantly to keep its identity beyond Springtime and even Summer months. We've had snow in June. So, patience was something I wanted my youngest daughter to learn in a joyous way: I created the Dandelion Dress Idea specifically for the purpose of waiting and looking for Spring Signs. I would find or make a pretty yellow dress by the month of March and hang it visibly in the house. This would signify to her to desire to wear it "When the dandelions bloom!"- a significant Spring Sign. She delighted in this winter time waiting room. When she found a dandelion in full bloom on our grounds she could then bring it and be given the dress to wear. She enjoyed this so much in her adolescent years she held Dandelion Contests with young people in state and out of state by sending letters to them saying that they would be rewarded if they sent a dandelion to her- hopefully before she had found one.
    The Dandelion Dress Idea for when your daughters have grown-up:
    Right now, I have three packages sitting artfully wrapped up in a handwoven basket with a well-selected card inviting my 16, 21 and 25 year old daughters (lives 9 miles away)to bring me a dandelion. Each package is a specialty gift that represents each of their passions as women... I hope to continue this with my grand daughters. This idea lends itself well to the romance of Spring as well as the virtue of patience that is needed by womanfolk of all ages.

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  2. What a beautiful idea! Made me tear up!

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