Lessons Learned from Dandelions

This is the time of year for gardening ... flowers, vegetables, fruit, and of course - weeds!

As mankind works so hard to use all kinds of unnatural methods to control nature, the job becomes much more difficult than need be (not to mention, making the planet a less healthy place to live).

Take for instance, the humble dandelion. A not so offensive weed to begin with, I actually find it cute and it's vibrant yellow is pleasant to look at. But, the homeowner's association seems to have a thorn in the backside about it, so I have to clear them from my yard.

The dandelion has a large and deep reach root, especially here in the desert, to allow for ample water. This is a pain in the butt (and nearly impossible) to hand pluck. I've taken to using a tool, that I'm not sure the name of, but it has two prongs and a rocker on the back of it to give good leverage for digging out weeds. Every time I see a dandelion I take a moment to use this item to dig the dandelion out, no chemicals needed, no poisons being put into the earth.

My neighbor opts to spray his dandelions. When the dandelion dies the vibrant yellow head turns into a white puff - dozens of little seeds waiting to spread into the wind. Soon the little seeds coat my neighbor's yard, and the entire thing turns into a field of dandelions. I see a lot of houses like this as I go around town. I can tell the people that choose to weed with chemicals instead of getting their hands a little dirty. They end up making the job far worse than it ever needed to be, due to their lack of willingness to put in a small effort to begin with. They end up needing to destroy more and more, in their quest to control a piece of the planet.

Take a lesson from the dandelions. Getting your hands in the dirt can be a relaxing and rewarding experience; when you work with the planet, the planet will be happy to work with you. When you unleash myriad chemicals and poison onto the earth, she will try and find a way to overcompensate. Fifty dandelions, because you poisoned one. Really, is it worth it?

And if you have a dandelion problem, maybe get creative about it! Dandelion tea is so healthy, and delicious. I also saw an interesting recipe for dandelion wine!