Dandelion will make you wise

All the dandelions in my neighborhood have bloomed and gone to seed. But just a couple of weeks ago about 1/2 the houses on my daily walk had yards full of glorious dandelions.  I was so happy to see so many happy yellow flowers on my walks.

Image from www.treehugger.com

I grew up seeing dandelions as a pesky weed. Everyone wanted to rip them out, poison them, mow them, and all around obliterate them. I never did quite understand because they are very pretty little flowers. ON the other hand I see the allure of a well manicured green grass lawn.  I think there is room for both styles. But I suspect those that like to keep a grass lawn probably don't like all those that like to let the dandelion flowers flourish. Those lovely parachute flower seeds travel far and will easily invade the green canvas of the American Front Lawn dotting it with yellow blooms next spring.

They originated in Europe and were brought to north America with settlers because of its food and medicine values. The young leaves are great for salads. The flowers can be fried like fritters or put into a soup.  And of course they can be used to make wine. Even the root is edible. Did you know you can make a coffee like beverage from the roasted roots? That has got to be one of the best ways to use dandelions. Besides the food benefits, who can argue with the joy a small child (oh, hell, even me at my age) gets when they pick a white puffball dandelion flower and blow on it to make it snow in spring?

I am not sure how I'll treat dandelions when I eventually get my own lawn that needs to be cared for. I'd like to be able to let them bloom in the spring so I can enjoy their bright flowers and maybe even try incorporating them into my diet.

So what do you all think? Should dandelions be eliminated as a pesky weed that is taking over lawns and some natural areas or should we let them grow and enjoy their simple beauty that could bring on a smile?

FYI - this blog title is a line of lyric from the Rolling Stones song called Dandelion, from the late 60s.