The Lowly Dandelion — Harbinger of Spring!

Dandelions — you know, those bright yellow flowers in your lawn, and at the side of a country road — seem to be part of the landscape across a very wide part of the globe.

Of course, it's the bane of many a gardener's existence... popping up endlessly in locations where we don't want it to be; scattering its endless seeds like tiny feathered parachutes that drift almost anywhere on the wind.

And I mean anywhere. They take root in cracks between stones, cracks in the street... even in the gutters of our houses, if there's just a little bit of organic matter there.

Sure, they annoy me, too. I'm pulling them up from our flower beds and vegetable garden most of the summer.

But they are also my favorite reminder that Spring is here! They are among the earliest blooming wildflowers... and I know when those little yellow dots start showing up in the lawn it's unlikely we'll have any more snow storms or hard freezes.

And I like them, because they represent a sort of re-birth of nature.

They are quite pretty, as well. And remarkably complex looking, for a flower that grows as quickly as it does!

And gardeners my condemn them, but at the same time, they are an extremely useful plant, particularly if you're into foraging. The young leaves are great as greens in salad, and filled with nutrition. The roots have medicinal uses, and can also be dried for tea.

For now, I just saw a couple... and they made me happy enough to snap some pictures and feel grateful that spring is here!

Thanks for reading, and have a lovely weekend!

How about you? Are there dandelions where you live? Do they remind you of spring? Or is there a different plant that signals spring? Do leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — NOT A CROSSPOST!!!)
Created at 2023.03.25 01:10 PST
x548