I like dandelions. They’re a weed I guess but that doesn’t mean they’re not attractive. They settle in lawns practically overnight once Spring arrives.
We don’t have a lawn; we’ve a patch of grass that only appears dandelion free right after it’s been cut. The next day they’re back. They seem to like our patch, so who am I to evict them?
What is a weed anyway?
I’ve always been curious about what defines a weed so I finally looked it up. Here are a few definitions:
- A plant considered undesirable, unattractive, or troublesome, especially one growing where it is not wanted, as in a garden.
- A plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth, especially one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants
- A species of plant growing in an area it did not naturally occur in. Usually a species not native to the area.
So weeds aren’t good. But there’s another point of view. Many so-called weeds have benefits. The dandelion can break up hard earth with its root, bringing up nutrients to plants that don’t have the same reach. This makes it a good companion for shallow-rooted crops, e.g. tomatoes. Here is a list of other beneficial weeds and their uses from Wikipedia.
About a week ago, it was a typical April day with sunshine and showers. The grass needed cutting, but it wasn’t going to happen as it was wet and more showers were on the way.
So I took the camera out to see if I could get any good photos in the garden. In the space of 10 minutes I took the six pictures you can see above.
In a very small space we have tulips (white and yellow), cowslips, something purple (I’ve no idea what it is) and of course, dandelions.
I think my favourite picture is the one of the three yellow tulips standing tall, but I like them all.
I’d love to know what the purple flower is so if you have an idea please let me know.
I’ll finish with a series of quotes on the subject of weeds, some of which counter the standard definition:
- A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.~ Dogen
- A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows. ~ Doug Larson
- A weed is but an unloved flower. ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- A weed is no more than a flower in disguise, which is seen through at once, if love give a man eyes. ~ James Russell Lowell
- What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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