Dandelion

Vile weed! No, seriously, how did these little flowers get such a bad reputation? Eva posed the question on facebook about a week ago that I had been asking myself; "dandelions: little yellow signs of lazy lawn care...or...kinda pretty?"

To me, the presence of dandelions is a double edge sword. I don't really mind seeing little specks of yellow scattered intermittently throughout my lawn. Besides, it's nice to have a hint of color. It's not even all that bad to see the plumes of fluffy seeds extending from the grass, as long as there aren't too many. But that's where the tolerance ends for me; once those parachutes evacuate the stem, those empty stalks are an eyesore.

Luckily, once the dandelions get to that point, it's usually time for me to mow the lawn anyway. If not, it's not that big of a deal to just go out and pick the stems out of the ground. Plus, the kids really love to pick the dandelions and blow off the seeds; just as I did when I was little. In a way, they are like free toys for the kids!

Overall, I don't mind the dandelions in my yard, as long as they are sparse. They provide joy for the kids, and add a beautiful yellow color to yard when they bloom. Plus, they are edible, though I haven't been brave enough to toss some of their greens in a salad.  The picture posted above came from a dandelion in my yard, and I think it is actually quite beautiful.