A Place for Daffodils and Dandelions

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising sun
Has not attain'd his noon.
Stay, stay,
Until the hasting day
Has run
But to the even-song;
And, having pray'd together, we
Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay,
As you, or anything.
We die
As your hours do, and dry
Away,
Like to the summer's rain;
Or as the pearls of morning's dew,
Ne'er to be found again. 

            -Robert Herrick

Daffodils and Dandelions!  How wonderfully creative Mother Nature is and how delightfully diverse.  Spring brings a gradual greening of the great carpet at Merry Mount and a welcoming sight is the first burst of yellow from the daffodils.

A single daffodil in the courtyard at Merry Mount

The daffodils display with pride their beauty against the remaining blustering wind, sleet, and admixture of rain and snow of Winter.  As the temperature rises, the “cups of butter” wither and fall asleep for another year.

But Mother Nature provides more yellow.  As I gazed this week at the vast number of little yellow blossoms that dotted the yards of Merry Mount, I marveled at the ability of Taraxacum to germinate and spred. 

This perennial herb is distinguished by its basal leaves with jagged edges, hollow stems that are leafless and terminate in a single yellow flower, and fluffy white seed heads. At maturity, all plant parts exude a milky juice if cut. Reproduce is by wind-blown seeds. Also, plants regenerate from root fragments.

           

http://www.oardc.ohiostate.edu/weedguide/single_weed.php?id=33

Why do people find dandelions so offensive? Perhaps it is because they have chosen to believe the advertisements of the fertilizer industry:

Kill Visible Dandelions
The best way to attack dandelions is to kill the whole plant, taproot and all, and then keep new weeds from establishing themselves in your lawn. Kill dandelions and feed at the same time to help crowd out future weeds by applying a weed-and-feed product such as Scotts® Turf Builder® Triple Action or Scotts® Turf Builder® Weed & Feed in the spring. If you have dandelions growing in your St. Augustine, centipede, or zoysia lawn, use Scotts® Turf Builder® Southern Triple Action or Scotts® Turf Builder® Bonus® S Southern Weed & Feed instead. If a broad application doesn't kill all of them, spot treat any remaining dandelions 2 to 4 weeks later with a ready-to-use product like Scotts® Spot Weed Control for Lawns. Just be sure to follow the instructions on the label.

Scotts’ net income in 2016: 314.8 million dollars.

I say, “Change the way you look at things, and what you look at changes.” Why not look at the lawn of dandelions and see a miracle of nature.  Beautiful yellow flowers followed by perfectly shaped seed pods.  I also recommend reading:  https://wellnessmama.com/5680/dandelion-herb-profile/

Joy and Eva picking dandelions

I picked a faded dandelion 
And blew it in the air 
It's tiny little parachutes 
Went floating everywhere. They caught the wind 
And danced awhile 
Bending to and fro 
In splendid ballerina style. Finally as the wind grew still 
They floated back to earth 
And bedded in the dark warm soil 
To start their new rebirth. When next [spring] comes 
And dandelions are everywhere 
I'll pick another faded flower 
And blow it in the air. 

            -Janet L. Niehaus

Thanks Mother Nature for daffodils and “dandy lions”!

CPW