Kid would have enjoyed our experience. In front of our rural home one day, the sun rose on a 3-acre field of dandelions. Yellow from fence to fence. Beautiful. Never happened again and I don’t know why.
She also would have enjoyed being in my classroom one morning in early spring. One student looked out the window and ‘ooohed,’ which naturally caught everyone’s attention. We saw that, over the next building, there flowed a wind-blown waterfall of dandelion blossoms – a steady stream that glowed in the sun for nearly 3 minutes. As they cleared the roof, some settled to the ground, while most of them continued on across the athletic field and into the plowed fields beyond.
Instead of the day’s lesson, I asked students to write a paragraph of about 5 sentences to describe what they saw. Was one of the better teaching experiences in a long run of humdrum days.
Dandelions are edible! The whole plant is edible and very nutritious. And they are a main spring food source for bees! Down with the Monsanto lawn, bring back nature. Dandelions and clover make great lawns!
In North America, dandelions are invasive. That means they are not native here, and they crowd out plants that are native, disrupting the ecosystem. In Europe, where they are native, dandelions are fine.
I just recommended this over at “Rose is Rose” recently. It’s a picture book called DANDY, by Ame Dyckman. A delightful book about daddies, daughters, and dandelions.
When the drought in California meant you couldn’t water a lawn, the nastiest of invasive weeds happily filled in the spaces with spikes and sharps and roots that go way deep to get every last drop—making it hard to yank them out. Car tires have been punctured by some of those seeds. But the dandelion! The phases of its flowers denote the sun, the moon, and the stars. It nourishes. Every part of it is soft to a toddler walking through them. Every spring I picture myself sowing dandelion seeds where once the spreader sowed grass.
As one of those “less pretty” ones I agree, because if I had my way there would be a whole lot more bicycles on the roads, with the penalties for hitting one several orders of magnitude more severe. Which still probably wouldn’t be much because they’re currently at zero or less in cases where the rider(s) survive.
GreasyOldTam 3 months ago
I can think of several I would like to see pulled.
Limpid Lizard 3 months ago
Ooh! “Take over”! Who cares? Let them be.
Bilan 3 months ago
Grouchy grown-ups don’t like dandelions because then they can’t say Darn kids. Get off my lawn.
Richard S Russell Premium Member 3 months ago
Bees like dandelions. I like bees.
rshive 3 months ago
Human society sometimes parallels Nature.
c001 3 months ago
Not yet.
jonathan.prater 3 months ago
Additionally, dandelion leaves can make for a fairly tasty salad, and their flowers can be turned into delicious mead. :D
ksu71 3 months ago
Peanuts on D-Day: gocomics.Com/peanuts/2024/06/06
The Wolf In Your Midst 3 months ago
If I don’t have a perfect lawn, how am I supposed to maintain a smug sense of superiority over my neighbors?
tpcox928 3 months ago
Ouch!
chaosed2 3 months ago
Clearly she is unfamiliar with the recent trends in Canadian health care options.
outgolfing 3 months ago
You just wait, little girl. You just wait.
gawaintheknight 3 months ago
At least dandelions are good for the pollinators.
jessegooddoggy 3 months ago
My neighbor across the street has the most beautiful lawn in town – blooming with dandelions right now. Looks like a flowering meadow.
sandpiper 3 months ago
Kid would have enjoyed our experience. In front of our rural home one day, the sun rose on a 3-acre field of dandelions. Yellow from fence to fence. Beautiful. Never happened again and I don’t know why.
She also would have enjoyed being in my classroom one morning in early spring. One student looked out the window and ‘ooohed,’ which naturally caught everyone’s attention. We saw that, over the next building, there flowed a wind-blown waterfall of dandelion blossoms – a steady stream that glowed in the sun for nearly 3 minutes. As they cleared the roof, some settled to the ground, while most of them continued on across the athletic field and into the plowed fields beyond.
Instead of the day’s lesson, I asked students to write a paragraph of about 5 sentences to describe what they saw. Was one of the better teaching experiences in a long run of humdrum days.
davidthoms1 3 months ago
Dandelions are edible! The whole plant is edible and very nutritious. And they are a main spring food source for bees! Down with the Monsanto lawn, bring back nature. Dandelions and clover make great lawns!
DaBump Premium Member 3 months ago
I also think we should let native wildflowers grow. If you want a perfect green carpet, get Astroturf™.
trainnut1956 3 months ago
When the plants are young, the leaves are excellent in a salad. But when mature, the leaves are a bit too spicy…
poppacapsmokeblower 3 months ago
Tempting
anomaly 3 months ago
A few kids, too. Don’t worry about it.
Hypatia of Alexandria 3 months ago
In North America, dandelions are invasive. That means they are not native here, and they crowd out plants that are native, disrupting the ecosystem. In Europe, where they are native, dandelions are fine.
car2ner 3 months ago
as a Boomer, it seems our season of Taking Over is almost over. With decades of experience it is tough to hand over the reins, yet it has to happen.
oakie817 3 months ago
we should
The Brooklyn Accent 3 months ago
Dandelions don’t tell no lies.
DKHenderson 3 months ago
I just recommended this over at “Rose is Rose” recently. It’s a picture book called DANDY, by Ame Dyckman. A delightful book about daddies, daughters, and dandelions.
cipactli77 3 months ago
Dandelion don’t tell no lies / Dandelion will make you wise / Tell me if she laughs or cries / Blow away, dandelion
pamela welch Premium Member 3 months ago
LOLOL
MFRXIM Premium Member 3 months ago
“The difference between a flower and a weed is a judgment.”- Unknown. "Earth laughs in flowers.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson.
mfrasca 3 months ago
“We don’t go pulling those.” The premise behind Logan’s Run.
amaryllis2 Premium Member 3 months ago
When the drought in California meant you couldn’t water a lawn, the nastiest of invasive weeds happily filled in the spaces with spikes and sharps and roots that go way deep to get every last drop—making it hard to yank them out. Car tires have been punctured by some of those seeds. But the dandelion! The phases of its flowers denote the sun, the moon, and the stars. It nourishes. Every part of it is soft to a toddler walking through them. Every spring I picture myself sowing dandelion seeds where once the spreader sowed grass.
mikendi 3 months ago
More than several…
Opus the Poet 3 months ago
As one of those “less pretty” ones I agree, because if I had my way there would be a whole lot more bicycles on the roads, with the penalties for hitting one several orders of magnitude more severe. Which still probably wouldn’t be much because they’re currently at zero or less in cases where the rider(s) survive.