Dandelions

Dandelions, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

It's hard to look at dandelions and think weeds. They pop up haphazardly, shining their sunny faces. I think their disposition should be admired - bright and happy yet strong enough to withstand the most persistent gardener who attempts to rid their lawn for good of these invaders. Their seeds scatter ready to pop up anew in unexpected places. Persistent even in adversity!

Dandelion

Dandelion, originally uploaded by susanvg.

It's interesting how we view certain plants. This dandelion is in my garden (not for much longer). Here we view them as weeds, but Italians like to harvest the young leaves and eat them in a salad. You can find dandelion greens for sale in some grocery stores. I was at a restaurant where they were not only offering fiddleheads (lightly sautéd they are a bit crunchy and taste fresh and springy - it's hard to describe taste), but also ramps. I looked up ramps - wild garlic. There was a site from Tennessee which described ways to eliminate them. They were viewed as weeds (though another site talked about a ramp festival there). Here they were sold as a delicacy. In Quebec they can only be harvested in small quantities for personal use, but may not be picked in provincial parks.

Day 150: Dandelion / Pissenlit

Day 150: Dandelion, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I spent some time this morning pulling some dandelions up by the roots. And planted a couple of those geraniums.

We had to go to Toronto unexpectedly. The route is straight and boring. So came the dillemna of many days - what to photograph? When we stopped for supper the salt and pepper shakers posed for me - but there was no story there. The dandelion - so delicate - both ephemeral and tenacious. I guess it made me think of people - fragile but unyielding - hanging on to life. The dandelion's roots go deep and its seeds, so light, float off on the breeze, spreading far and wide seeking spots to take root. We never know the effect we have on others as our seeds - our ideas, our interactions, our actions reach out to others. Where will they take root so that we live on through new growth?