Free Range Flower Garden

- jim Young 20200601

“If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn.” - Andrew Mason

My free-range garden is in full bloom already this year.

I don’t think flowers should be confined to pots, vases or segregated areas along the house and edges of our property. They should roam free to spread their beauty wherever their seedlings may fall.

These beautiful yellow flowers, reminiscent of the marigold, that are spotted throughout our yard, perfectly complement the green backdrop of our lawn which consists of a variety of grasses, clover and assorted Perennials.

The colours yellow and green are next to each other in the rainbow so why not in your backyard as well?

Together yellow and green is soothing and undramatic; a perfect combination to induce relaxation in your backyard.

With an imaginative name such as the “Dandelion” how can this be anything but a fun flower?

Derived from the French name “dent de lion” meaning “lion’s tooth'', the dandelion was so named to describe its tooth-like serrations of its leaves.

Other names for the dandelion are just as fun including “blow-ball, clockflower, Irish daisy, priest’s crown and puffball”.

The dandelion represents the sun (yellow flower), moon (when it’s gone to seed) and stars (as the seedlings float away in a gentle breeze).

Each morning the dandelion will open up to greet the day with you and then close back up as dusk arrives when it’s time to go to sleep

No part of the dandelion is without purpose. It’s roots, flower and leaves can all be used for food, wine, medicine and dye.

In days gone by people would remove grass from their lawns to ensure room for dandelions to grow.

While most people can recognize fewer than five plants that grow in their area, the dandelion is likely to be one of the five they do know.

With one of the longest flowering seasons of any plant the dandelion’s seeds are often carried as many as 5 miles spreading their joy and beauty wherever they may travel.

Who among us, has not delighted in making a wish as we have blown on the seeds of the dandelion and smiled as we sent her magical white fairies flying off to the four corners of the world?

It kind of makes you want to treat the dandelion with a little more respect, doesn’t it?

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Published in the Great North Arrow, April 1, 2023: Vladdy's On First