Author Topic: Be nice to dandelions!  (Read 7546 times)

Pancho

  • لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
Be nice to dandelions!
« on: 04 May, 2016, 07:44:58 am »
I had a revelation yesterday as I toiled and weeded a patch of garden that nature had made a good start at reclaiming from the family. Dandelions are great.

There's not much in flower early in the year and the ones I was attacking were attracting the affections of bumblebees and other insects. The bees probably need them as they wake from their winter oblivion. And, you know, they look good - a splash of colour in the early garden. What's more, you can eat them - pick young leaves and use as rocket in salads. If a plant breeding company suddenly invented them today, every gardening hipster in town would be clicking their orders through.

As I pondered on dandelions, my mind wandered a bit (isn't being unemployed great?) and I remembered reading Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandelion_Wine) which I'll put on my "to (re) read" list.

Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #1 on: 04 May, 2016, 08:24:12 am »
What a coincidence !! I was discussing same thing in local garden shop yesterday and getting told off for removing our dandelions because of the early season nectar source ! So far I have dug out 4 bucketful from the lawn of them and there are still plenty more. There`s lots and lots in roadside verges and there`s plenty nectar source now in our garden with apple, greengage and pear trees coming into blossom .

So whilst I understand the point I`m still going to defend the garden against weeds and pests !! (I used to think moles were cute until they dug molehills all over the lawn, and veg plot ; they now get trapped, all seven to date)
....after the `tarte de pommes`, and  fortified by a couple of shots of limoncellos,  I flew up the Col de Bavella whilst thunderstorms rolled around the peaks above

Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #2 on: 04 May, 2016, 10:01:09 am »
Remember the old name for them: Pissabed.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #3 on: 05 May, 2016, 12:39:16 am »
Even the Flems have a similar name for them...

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #4 on: 05 May, 2016, 10:28:32 am »
Still pissenlits here, poor things.  I think they're great.

I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

RibbleRouser

Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #5 on: 05 May, 2016, 09:22:38 pm »
Dandelions are a beautiful and useful native flowering plant, a manicured lawn is not natural and serves no purpose apart from satisfying mans desire to control nature.



caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #6 on: 05 May, 2016, 09:57:17 pm »
Given their ubiquity and relentless invasion of everywhere capacity - do we *really* need to be worried about 'deforestation' of these things?  I guess so, given the nature of this conversation so far.


Fortunately for your collective sensitivity I long ago lost the will-to-live in getting rid of the bloody things ;)  Aren't things like French Marigolds also nice and yellow and far more attractive...? The slug love 'em too...<runs away>
It's a reverse Elvis thing.

Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #7 on: 10 May, 2016, 08:46:02 am »
now up to 15 buckets full having removed them also from verge in front of house. As for the impact on local population the entire verge along road for a long way either side is bright glorious yellow with them so I expect they`ll be reseeding in shortly. And lawn is scarcely manicured either rather a slightly roughly cut high area of grass (and moss)
....after the `tarte de pommes`, and  fortified by a couple of shots of limoncellos,  I flew up the Col de Bavella whilst thunderstorms rolled around the peaks above

Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #8 on: 10 May, 2016, 09:00:03 am »
They are in important early nectar and pollen source for both bumbles and honey bees.

PH
Bees do nothing invariably.

LEE

  • "Shut Up Jens" - Legs.
Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #9 on: 11 May, 2016, 11:38:24 am »
My lawn at the weekend.

I'm not lazy... I was ...err....errr.....thinking of the Bees..yes, that's right, the Bees.


Some people say I'm self-obsessed but that's enough about them.

Pancho

  • لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #10 on: 11 May, 2016, 11:43:37 am »
I can say the same about my vegetable patch. It's not overgrown - I'm experimenting with permaculture and forest gardening!

Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #11 on: 11 May, 2016, 01:02:36 pm »

Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #12 on: 12 May, 2016, 07:36:23 pm »
They are in important early nectar and pollen source for both bumbles and honey bees.

PH

cycled  past two fields today of beekeeper heaven near Church Stretton, several acres of bright bright yellow dandelions  :thumbsup: with a few bluebells in verges to add colour  ;D
....after the `tarte de pommes`, and  fortified by a couple of shots of limoncellos,  I flew up the Col de Bavella whilst thunderstorms rolled around the peaks above

Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #13 on: 12 May, 2016, 07:44:43 pm »
Known as dogmilk (kutyaté) in Hungarian. Possibly summat to do with the white sap?
Haggerty F, Haggerty R, Tomkins, Noble, Carrick, Robson, Crapper, Dewhurst, Macintyre, Treadmore, Davitt.

Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #14 on: 20 May, 2016, 08:43:47 am »
I've been treating my paddock with Headland Relay P which I've found to be pretty good on nettles, thistles, dock, ribwort plantain, celandine and even Japanese knotweed.  I treated the lawn with it last year and again a couple of weeks ago and the dandelions and celandine on the lawn are much-reduced.  Unfortunately it seems that it's been withdrawn from sale...

I really don't think that my bees are going to get upset if I eradicate a couple of hundred of my dandelions...

Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #15 on: 20 May, 2016, 05:16:23 pm »

I really don't think that my bees are going to get upset if I eradicate a couple of hundred of my dandelions...

sorry beekeepers but I agree ! There are thousands dandelions around verges, fields here and all I`m doing is trying to reduce their invasion my lawn. As nectar sources we have apple, pear, greengage, blackcurrant, gooseberry, daffodils, grape hyacinths, comfrey (bees visiting it now), pulmonaria, primroses, cowslip, eyebrights, forget me nots, welsh poppy, winter flowering heathers all of which are currently in flower or have been in last month. A few dandelions isn`t going impact a lot on total nectar source here
....after the `tarte de pommes`, and  fortified by a couple of shots of limoncellos,  I flew up the Col de Bavella whilst thunderstorms rolled around the peaks above

Re: Be nice to dandelions!
« Reply #16 on: 07 September, 2018, 11:04:42 am »
And you can make a delicious Tea with Dandelion too. Leave the plant to dry including the roots for a cup of tea !!
Your underfloor heating guy.