I’ve decided to establish the I Love Dandelions Society.
What are the society’s goals?
To encourage the use of the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) as a suitable and highly desired ground cover for flower borders and vegetable garden beds.
To promote the beauty of dandelions that grow up through sidewalk cracks or establish themselves in the middle of perennial flowers.
To support those gardeners whose garden paths are overgrown with dandelions from one end to the other.
To embolden those who allow dandelions to grow in their lawns.
Though establishing this society and promoting the dandelion in such a manner will be an arduous task, I believe it will be a far easier task than digging up the many dandelions that are coming up all over my flower borders and vegetable garden beds, growing up in sidewalk cracks and in the middle of perennials, clogging up my garden paths, and spreading across my lawn.
I think the much maligned dandelion just needs a good PR campaign behind it to promote its value as a salad green, an early source of nector for bees, and an ingredient in wine making.
Therefore, I’m doing this for the good of all gardeners who have stepped out into their gardens this spring and then run back inside rather than face all the dandelions that have come up and continue to come up all over the place.
To encourage participation, membership in the society is free to all interested parties.
When I started reading, I was going to offer to send you all of my dandelions but reading further, it seems that joining the society is a better choice. Sign me up!
I am glad someone else appreciates dandelions! I have always thought our contempt for them is misguided. Think of it..if we were to see a dandelion for the first time, would we not appreciate it? Besides which, think of happy bees, dandelion wine, diuretic dandelion tea, and the yummiest fritters! Dandelions for world president!
I've been a fully paid up member for years!
I will have to have a more convincing argument than this to enlist in this society. Nope. Just don't like them unless they are in someone elses garden. Much too prolific for my liking. Now if I could have a little patch of them to love and admire I would gobble them up, but they are so rude waltzing into areas where I don't want them.
I think I have lots of neighbors who must be in your society already. As for me NO, NO, NO. One does not move into a lovely suburban home and then allow weeds to grow all over the yard. Sorry.
I think they have their place, but not in my yard.
I don't mind them so much. My wife loathes them.
So, in the interests of marital harmony, I participate in the annual spring task of digging them up.
Fortunately, it's a pretty hopeless endeavor, so I know there will always be dandelions next spring for the bees to enjoy.
Meanwhile, my lawn gets aerated from all the holes I dig! 😀
When we lived in Germany many years ago, I saw that there were fields of dandelions. Everywhere. Once I went to a Tupperware party hosted by a German woman, and she gave us a recipe for dandelion honey- it might be useful for some of your society members:
Boil 2 handfuls of dandelion flowers in 1 liter of water for 3 minutes. Let stand for 12 hours. Strain. Add 1 kilo of sugar and cook for 3 hours on low heat, stirring occasionally.
Fyi. I have never tried this, nor eaten any. If your yard gives you dandelions, make honey!!
I think I'm already a member. My lawn is as much dandelions as grass. Of course, there's also moss, English daisies, and various other non-grass plants in the mix, too. I'm not sure I can give up trying to keep them out of the garden beds, though…
I may have to be part-time member or something. I dig them out of my flowerbeds and lawn, but quite enjoy their cheerful color on my "wild" (i.e. weedy) back slope.
My children would all join your club immediately! They adore dandelions, because I let them pick all they want without asking!
I'm in! It's about time Dandelions receive appreciation they deserve.Dandelions are beautiful and they have so many uses.It's just sad many consider them as weeds.
Dandelions only crime is they are too-willing growers. If they did not reseed abundantly or were more challenging to grow they might be getting sold in garden centers as pricey perennials. The flowers are actually beautiful. If you look close-up they resemble miniature mum or marigold flowers. The name is a corruption of the French Dente de Lion or Lion's Tooth and refers to the appearance of the toothed foliage. I like your idea of society for the appreciation of the maligned dandelion.