Fab Foto Friday – Ode to the… Dandelion?

Ode to the Dandelion

Yes, I’m a dandelion, but don’t hate me so,

I can be quite useful, and help flowers grow.

My feathery plumes, like seed-bearing parachutes,

Are harangued by so many when we distribute.

I’m needed in root beer and dandelion wine,

In Chinese cuisine my leaves taste just fine.

I’m nectar for butterflies, pollen for bees,

I add nutrients to soil and help fruit to please.

Those who despise me have it all wrong,

After all, I’m the U of R flower and song.

When your mower wages war as a means to my end,

Know I’ll be back with lots of my friends.

My daughter inspired me to photograph the dandelion, after seeing a great picture that she herself took. As you look at the photos, I hope you will humor me and pretend you don’t even know what a dandelion is, or think of how much you hate them when they cover your lawn. Can you see any beauty in them at all?

I must admit that they’re a nuisance at our house. My husband wishes they were lauded more and that the lawn with the most dandelions would be the envy of the neighborhood. I think their beauty diminishes with their stems and leaves, but I do love the look of their feathery heads and yellow blooms. I’m not sure there’s a person out there that hasn’t picked one of these up only to distribute those “seed-bearing parachutes” and laughed with innocent joy (much to the dismay of the owner of that particular lawn). A sign of spring if there ever was one.

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 18th, 2012 at 7:00 am and is filed under Fab Fotos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Betsy

Oh Suerae, this is definitely one for your Dad to read!!!!! You know how he is famous for “weeding” his lawn and removes every single dandelion, one by one, with his special dandelion removal tool!! LOL The pictures are beautiful….tell her that Grandma loves them. <3<3<3
- http://redbarnartworks.com suerae
  
  Hi Mom! Yes, I know Dad hates them as much as Bob does. They do lose their appeal pretty quickly I suppose! xxoo
http://www.broadvisionmarketing.com/ Ann

I, too, used to blow on dandelions and send wished flying. Now I, too, wish they didn’t cover my lawn with the big ouchy leaves below.
- http://redbarnartworks.com suerae
  
  Hi Ann! Thankfully, our dandelion leaves are not ouchy otherwise we would hate them even more! Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Tamara

Yes, my husband cusses every spring the person who decided that weeds are a bad thing and that one has to have a carpet-like lawn.
http://www.marquisjewelry.com LeAnne

Aww. I love dandelions because when Jonathan was little he always picked them for me and I put them in a little glass on the window sill. When he was old enough to learn they are actually weeds he was embarrassed for doing so but I told him not to be and how much I loved them because of him…and then he ended up going to the U of R where dandelion is their flower as your poem states! Pretty ironic. Will always love them. AND they are wonderful subjects for photos.
- http://redbarnartworks.com suerae
  
  Awww, LeAnne, what a sweet story. I can picture him bringing you dandelions! So funny how they are the official U or R flower. It’s destiny – lol! xxoo
http://frugal-science.com/blog Gustavo | Frugal Science

Hi Suerae!

Loved the poem and the photos! They are not so easy to find down here in Ecuador but you find them here and there. Here, they are called “Diente de Leon” which means “tooth of lion”. I guess that’s what “dandelion” stands for too.
Gustavo | Frugal Science recently posted..What are dreams made of.
- http://redbarnartworks.com suerae
  
  Hello Gustave, great to have you here! Thank you for letting me know the meaning behind the dandelion name. I am guessing Ecuador must have its own hated weeds?
http://www.stressandhealthonline.com/blog/there-is-something-satisfying-about-digging-up-weeds Kristen

As a weekend weed warrior, I have to say that dandelions are quite pretty. I find it interesting the things that pop out of the ground without any intervention on our part and how beautiful they can be. We have several palm trees that just sprouted out of the ground as well as one oak tree! But I can barely keep the plants I selected and carefully planted alive. It is hard to fight mother nature! Perhaps we just need a new perspective on the dandelion (and the buttercup for that matter)…
- http://redbarnartworks.com suerae
  
  Kristen, I love the buttercup! I remember as a kid rubbing the flower under our chins to see if we liked butter. Thanks for reminding me about these! And I am the same as you. I struggle to keep my plantings alive and they move on me all the time. Must be the fact that I chose a spot which tends to get rushing water through it during heavy rains – oops!
http://Www.loransheart.com Loran

I like dandelions and have ever since I was a kid. Sometimes I am very confused by the whole notion of yards and landscaping. I enjoy the wilderness and the beauty of nature the most.
- http://redbarnartworks.com suerae
  
  It confuses me too Loran. I am always wondering who deems certain plants unwanted? Just because we didn’t plant them on purpose I suppose. Hope you’re having a great weekend! Thank you for the comment!
http://www.WorkingNaked.com Lisa Kanarek

How can something so beautiful, be so annoying and hated? I have a few neighbors who would win the “most dandelions contest.”
- http://redbarnartworks.com suerae
  
  I agree Lisa. As I go through my garden, there are all these unwelcome weeds, but some of them have very pretty blooms. I’m never sure whether I should get rid of them or not.
http://lisaselow.com Lisa

Suerae,
I confess to liking the dandelions. We don’t spray our lawn due to having animal friends who come to visit. So, we put up with weeds and try to eliminate them naturally. I love yellow flowers though and painted my kitchen sunflower yellow years ago to match the forsythia shrubs in my backyard. Hee! So, I relate
- http://redbarnartworks.com suerae
  
  Hi Lisa! I bet your kitchen is beautiful in sunflower yellow! We used to live in a neighborhood where everyone used Tru-Green Chemlawn and I couldn’t stand it. All those chemicals. Now we are in a more rural location and we just mow down the yard rather than spray. So the dandelions usually have a week’s reprieve between mowings! Thanks for visiting!
http://redbarnartworks.com suerae

Thank you Alicia! I hope you stop by again soon!