| Dandelion Taraxacum officinale |
| Many gardeners detest dandelions with the same passion as slugs and snails, which has always confused me, especially as this ‘weed’ is a versatile plant with many uses, waiting to be discovered. Many composters state that weeds like dandelions should not be added to the heap, and again, l disagree. A heated pile will kill off most things, including many weeds. However, to be double sure, dehead them and cut off the roots first before adding them; otherwise, they will regrow and live up to that lovely quote … ‘A weed is just a flower growing in the wrong place.’ You can eat dandelions—you can eat the young leaves like a salad, similar to a rocket type of spinach, or you can boil the young leaves and treat them precisely like spinach. They can be quite tangy. The flower can be used to make dandelion wine. They are packed with vitamins and minerals, and bees love them too. Also, the root can be used as a substitute for coffee if you roast it. But also as a tea… Dandelion Tea. Also, you can make a natural yellow dye out of this plant. For gardeners, you can make the notorious ‘Weed Tea. ‘ There are many other uses, like rabbit and guinea pig snacks [wash them first], and l remember when l kept chickens, they were rather partial to a treat or two, too! When, of course, they weren’t field-stripping everything else! I used to deliberately plant patches of dandelions in pots around the garden. They are rich in pollen and nectar, and pollinators love them. We should all do what we can to help bees, butterflies, and others. Gardeners spend so much time trying to obliterate the weeds from their gardens, and yet if they just left wild patches on their lawns for the friendly bugs instead of hoeing them out or spraying who knows what on them for the sake of the perfect property and the so-called ‘beautiful flowers’, they would be doing more for the benefits of wildlife than they might think. Many of the ‘pretty flowers’ gardeners purchase yearly don’t provide enough of a feast for our pollinators, but dandelions do. Dandelions may not be the first food for bees, but they are still an excellent pollinator source when other pollens and nectars are scarce. A diverse garden with weeds like dandelions is a testament to nature’s variety and is still way better than a uniform lawn without. |
Earthly Comforts 
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