Dandy Weed
The good old dandelion has been on my mind over the last few weeks. The different ways that we treat this particular flowering plant are at odds with one another.
On the one hand I have spent hours pulling them out of my lawn. I have even gone to Canadian Tire (a chain of hardware stores here in Canada) to buy a tool specifically designed to yank them - twice! (The first one I bought broke after two dandelion-pulls.) My wife has sprayed white vinegar on our patio tiles to ensure that they die and stop popping up in the cracks between the concrete tiles.
The dandelion fight is a never ending battle and new yellow flowers are continuously popping up. According to some, lawns have become uglier over recent years as people have struggled to keep the nasty plant out of their lawns due to the banning of those convenient herbicides (with good reason I must say).
On the other hand, driving in the country-side, I have often found them beautiful. Fields, when completely blanketed with the yellow dandelion flower, look spectacular. It reminds me of the fields of flowering canola in the prairies.
Why is it that this particular plant has been lumped into the weed category as opposed to the more acceptable wild flower category? People buy bags of mixed wild flower seeds and spray them on their lawns looking forward to seeing which colours will grace their lawns in the spring.
On yet another hand we go out and buy dandelion greens at the grocers. We pay good money for a plant that many of us have in our gardens or, rather, lawns. According to Wikipedia they have a host of amazing dietary properties. An industry has arisen to grow them and make those leaves as wide and green as possible. In fact, I would not be surprised if fertilizers and other chemicals are thrown on the crops of dandelions that are sold in supermarkets.
If I let them grow in my yard I am convinced some neighbours would be upset. If I planted them in my veggie garden many of the same folk might find me wise.
Just dandy.
Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!
On the one hand I have spent hours pulling them out of my lawn. I have even gone to Canadian Tire (a chain of hardware stores here in Canada) to buy a tool specifically designed to yank them - twice! (The first one I bought broke after two dandelion-pulls.) My wife has sprayed white vinegar on our patio tiles to ensure that they die and stop popping up in the cracks between the concrete tiles.
The dandelion fight is a never ending battle and new yellow flowers are continuously popping up. According to some, lawns have become uglier over recent years as people have struggled to keep the nasty plant out of their lawns due to the banning of those convenient herbicides (with good reason I must say).
On the other hand, driving in the country-side, I have often found them beautiful. Fields, when completely blanketed with the yellow dandelion flower, look spectacular. It reminds me of the fields of flowering canola in the prairies.
Why is it that this particular plant has been lumped into the weed category as opposed to the more acceptable wild flower category? People buy bags of mixed wild flower seeds and spray them on their lawns looking forward to seeing which colours will grace their lawns in the spring.
On yet another hand we go out and buy dandelion greens at the grocers. We pay good money for a plant that many of us have in our gardens or, rather, lawns. According to Wikipedia they have a host of amazing dietary properties. An industry has arisen to grow them and make those leaves as wide and green as possible. In fact, I would not be surprised if fertilizers and other chemicals are thrown on the crops of dandelions that are sold in supermarkets.
If I let them grow in my yard I am convinced some neighbours would be upset. If I planted them in my veggie garden many of the same folk might find me wise.
Just dandy.
Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!
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