Flickr photo by EOSXTi
Yes I know...first beards and now dandelions! I'm a sucker for controversy!
But please, before you spray me with pesticide, forget your dandelion battles for a moment and imagine you're seeing them for the very first time. Let's pretend a flying saucer landed and the little green men presented you with a bouquet of dandelions from their home planet. (You have no idea that they're about to take over your yard!)
Aren't they wonder-full?
Take a close look at the curly florets!
Flickr photo by morganglines
How wacky are those loopy things?
Look! When those petals dry up and fall off, the parachute ball opens into a cottony globe.
Flickr photo by ReyGay
You know what dandelion fanatics call that puffball? (Besides a wishie?)
A clock!
Flickr photo by dictybloke
Make a wish and blow!
I don't know about you, but I'll wish for more time.
Either that or some dandelion art on Etsy.
Like this.
Photo by papermoth.etsy.com
Or this.
Photo by lewasdesigns.etsy.com
Perfect if you're wishing for a better night's sleep!
Or maybe you'd rather wish for something to eat.
Flickr photo by reginald dlani
My, you do look hungry!
That reminds me...the name dandelion comes from the French dent de lion, lion's tooth, on account of the jagged edge of dandelion leaves.
Why not have a lion's tooth salad?
Flickr photo by luluisforlovers
But I should warn you. Dandelion greens come with a slightly bothersome side effect. Know what it is?
Hint: there's a reason the French also call them pissenlit.
Got it? No? Let's dissect the word: piss-en- lit...and en lit means in bed.
Yes, dandelions have a diuretic effect.
Sorry, but may I share some other funny names for the dandelion? There's only one more naughty one. It's pisacan, the word for dandelion in northeastern Italy.
Flickr photo by Ingrid0804
Dog pisses!
(Don't blame me. Signor Wikipedia whispered it in my ear.)
The Lithuanian name for dandelion means sow milk, on account of the milky sap you'll find if you break a dandelion stem.
Flickr photo by !Just In Time!
See, pigs like dandelions too!
The Dutch word for dandelion can be translated horse flower.
Flickr photo by happy rollmops
Appropriate, don't you think?
And the Hungarian word for dandelion means child's grass chain.
Flickr photo by mistybliss
Beautiful!
I still wish someone would name it African Crowned Crane flower.
See why?
Flickr photo by Three-X
Or maybe cute baby with flyaway hair flower!
Have a wonder-full Monday, y'all! Best dandelion wishes to you!
Love, Becky
24 comments:
The Tongginator loves them. The husband abhors them. I am Switzerland.
Hi Becky,
I love dandelion greens. We used to have them when I was a kid. No dandelions out here. I think it is too hot.
I thought it was fun to make a wish and blow them away. Looking back, I doubt if my dad enjoyed it as he pulled the dandelions.
Have a great Monday.
To me the dandelion is a plant of merit…
From wine to salad, children’s entertainment,
Gold finch feeder…
You may think this is a bit strange but I am as happy to see the first dandelion
as I am the first robin…
Louise
PS....love the dandelion art over the bed
the dandelion is such a misunderstood little flower just doing it's best to survive. :P
When I was a kid, I loved blowing the puffs. What kid doesn't?
I love dandelions. When they take over the flowerbeds I feed them to the tortoise.
Cute baby picture - My son's hair did that when he went down the plastic slide on the playground.
Hi Becky,
I remember as a child my Mom told us the dandelion was a fairy and if we make a wish and blow on it, it would send the fairy away to make the wish come true. (I believed).
A great post.
Have a wonderful day,
Elizabeth
truly they are lovely when my daughter runs through them, as I shall post evidence of later this week. But not so great in the front yard lawn!
Back at ya--I remember how we'd pop the tops off while yelling "Mary had a baby and her head popped off." And rubbing them on people's chins to see if they liked butter. But blowing their fluffy seed heads to bits while wishing is the best.
Loved this post...love the way you continue to inspire!!!
~ Wendy
My 4-year-old son and I were just commenting this morning on all the dandelions in everyone's yards. He insists on calling them sunflowers, however. I've tried correcting him, but he insists that they look like the sun shining. Who am I to squash that kind of love for a "weed"?
Oh, I love the picture of the baby with Dandelion Syndrome. Too cute.
Another wonderful post, and what a lot of tme you must put in to research all those fantastic photos! Thankyou for popping in to my blog and for your comments. I am interested in you book, I shall order a copy from Amazon. Have you lived over here? I was thinking of writing a book about my Chateau experiences, but my blog is a far as I have got, the task of writing a book seems a bit daunting-- have you any tips you can pass on?
I'm so glad to find so many dandelion lovers! And great dandelion stories!
Green girl, you're scaring me a little with your "Mary had a baby and her head popped off!" I've never heard that before!
Hey Delphine. Yes, we lived outside of Clermont Ferrand for 4 years. If you've got a story to tell and have a passion for writing, check out my agent's blog:
www.nathanbransford.blogspot.com
It's the best around for publishing advice!
Sipping the syrup of a honeysuckle flower and blowing on a dandelion are some of the first wonders of nature a child discovers.
I will always love dandelions for that reason.
Thank you for the French lesson! ;)
Love your blog!
What makes grass so good? I say Dandelions have them beat!
Sorry I disapeared for a while life has been nuts in a stressful not so fun way but I am blogging today
Dandelions are a favorite with me even though they are harbingers of weedom. The baby photo was precious. It made me guffaw out loud!
Hugs!
Nancy
Dandelions and wonder = oxymoron, at least in our yard right now. Where is that groundskeeper? Oh yes, probably at work. PS- here's a wonder- those strange word verification combinations that pop up here.
Becky, I just realized I was always spelling your name Beckie.
Any whoo I love the dandelion. And I laughed when I actually saw the lion.
I am heading over to the etsy shop to check out those dandelions.
Becky you have the best blog here and I always love it.
Renee xoxoxo
I never knew there were so many fascinating facts about that pesky weed! I'll have to share those with my hubby ... the names are a crack-up!
What beautiful photos! I wish the dandelions in our yard looked as spectacular as those LOL. Oh well, at least my son still gets a kick out of blowing on them.
You've made hafta think, that's not good. I don't think we get dandelions down here. I know we had 'em in Pennsylvania.....
thanks for another collection of wonderful pictures and words :)
I puffy black heart despise dandelions. I probably spend 20 hours each summer digging dandelion roots of our our yard. Hate them. Great way for the kids to get instant time out is to blow dandelion seeds in my yard.
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