Le Dent de Lion

I saw the first sprinkle of dandelions blooming in my lawn. Of course, I have been well aware of their presence, since their spreading sunburst of leaves have been burgeoning along quite hardily all season. I have already paid my little girl for a couple buckets worth that she has dug from the gardens.

Dandelions are an European import that grew to love America. If it weren’t so weedy we would love many of its fine qualities. It does make a nice salad in the early spring. So if you have any pesticide/herbicide free areas where dandelions have taken root, you may want to harvest the newest young leaves, make a warm bacon-vinaigrette dressing and eat a healthful salad. The leaves are a bit bitter, like endive. Often dandelions are used in herbal concoctions because of their diuretic properties. They are high in Potassium, as well. Part of a spring tonic regimen, if you like.

I notice that if you have a strong stand of grass, dandelions aren’t as prolific, but that doesn’t mean that your lawn is free of them. Using the ‘asparagus fork’ type of tool to root them out is great for as large an area as you have the time and energy to spare.

When I was a little girl there was a city space -sort of like a wide shallow depression that was filled with golden yellow dandelion bloom in the spring. I loved it when my mom took me there and I made dandelion garlands and garnished my chin with enough golden pollen to make me glow in the dark! I still like to see a field of dandelion flowers …it’s cheerful.

But I don’t like them in my flower beds.