Saturday, April 30, 2011

fine and dandy


We have a large feild near our house where we walk with our dog Cara.
It changes through the seasons and I have been loving that the mud has dried and we can go in without wellies.
Its largely green grass and has sporadic patches that glow yellow with dandelions.
These will soon give way to lots of buttercups and then some poppies will sprout - if last years cycle is anything to go by.

As we walk through rachel loves to go and gather handfuls of dandelions and give me a big bunch as a present.
They're so bright and cheery and given with such enthusiasm I take them home and put them in a vase.

Rach tried to give some other people dandelions and they refused to take them. "Disgusting" "Look she's giving me pee-the-beds". I can't help but think the Scottish terminology for dandelions as "pee-the-beds" has added to their demise as a pleasant plant to have around, but really? Do people actually believe the old wives tail that they make you urinate at night if you pick them? I have to inform you that I picked one yesterday and my sheets were dry this morning.

I can understand that no-one wants them growing in their lawn and they propagate annoyingly fast but why hate it so much? I have to admit that I felt a mild dislike when Rach first started picking them but when I stopped to try and work out why I actually couldnt come up with a good reason. So I am on a mission to enjoy the beauty of the humble dandelion - to champion its beauty and to dispel the myths. We need to open our eyes to the hidden things of beauty. See the world through the eyes of a child.

1 comment:

Iain Wright said...

I'll have to remember to send you some dandelions for your birthday - I wonder if Interflora stock them?