Last May, I launched a crusade to save the dandelions. It looks like it worked.
Today, Chipotle and I joined my mom for a trip to the farm. As far as the eye could see, dandelions rejoiced from the newly thawed earth like golden choirs, singing the sun’s praise. It was beautiful.
My mom told me that people enjoyed dandelions up until the 1960s. It was through the relentless marketing efforts of chemical and pesticide companies that the American public came to regard dandelions as unwelcome weeds – thus ensuring the success of their dandelion-killing products. Somehow, we lost sight of their beauty.
How easily we were fooled!
April 24, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Beautiful! : )
April 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm
i love this
last year in my city, windsor ontario canada, we had a public servants strike that lasted about 3 months. and because of this reason all of the parks went ‘wild’. it was beautiful. the river front was completely covered with dandelions and it looked like a perfect sea of yellow. the other parks that were usually perfectly manicured were now free to grow. the grass grew tall and even though it didn’t look ‘better’ necessarily it still looked great and a lot of people enjoyed it. Although it probably was not the plan of the public servants, the strike really helped windsorites see a different beauty in our city 
it was wonderful, and i hope that now the city lets some of the parks continue to be ‘wild’.
- jonathan h alfaro
jhalfaro.posterous.com
twitter.com/jonathanalfaro
be amazing
April 24, 2010 at 6:31 pm
They are a sure sign of spring. They are here now too in Nova Scotia. I love to see them in a field but not in my garden….they can and do strangle other plants. I even like them in a lawn……not in flower beds.
April 24, 2010 at 6:32 pm
In the raw food movement, we enjoy eating dandelion greens! The roots of the plant grow very deep and so the leaves are densely filled with nutrients.
April 24, 2010 at 7:08 pm
No dandelions out east? Ohio covered in dandelions. Italy same.
April 24, 2010 at 11:25 pm
This is awsome. Ithink dandelions are cute. Its pretty flower.
April 25, 2010 at 12:54 am
This is how dandelions look like here in Germany – hope you like it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ax-ro/3537333664/
Axel
April 25, 2010 at 3:28 am
Great post – I love them, they are one of my fave flowers. So pretty and intricate. Beats a tulip anyday in my books!
April 25, 2010 at 6:19 am
I love to see the dandelions in spring, means winter (ugh) is over. My dad taught me as a child to enjoy the spring flowers, including the dandelions. I wish i could count the bouquets of dandelions that were given to my Mom and she would put them in a vase or coffee cup if all the vases were filled up
April 25, 2010 at 6:45 am
Here in england we make a wine with the Dandelions which I think comes from the french Lion’s tooth
April 25, 2010 at 6:56 am
I love adding dandelion greens to a salad. It adds to the salad a tart taste.
April 25, 2010 at 6:58 am
Beautiful Axel. A sea of yellow like the sun shining from the ground up.
April 25, 2010 at 7:26 am
thanks!
April 25, 2010 at 7:48 am
Dandelion greens are yummy sauteed w garlic, most stores carry them next to Kale and Collard Greens.
April 25, 2010 at 9:38 am
We are cultivating plenty of dandelions here. Any time you want to come by to see them, just let me know! I didn’t think the poison people had really made much headway against the yellow flowers because I see them everywhere except on golf courses. And, I can sort of understand why they would create problems there. But they just add necessary spice to most lawns.
April 25, 2010 at 9:43 am
Try making dandelion wine!
April 25, 2010 at 1:27 pm
My doctor, who is also a naturopath, has a book of all the ailments that are cured by dandelion greens. He laughs at what people pay for lettuce, etc. and then poison the poor dandelions which are a much better source of vitamins.
April 25, 2010 at 3:11 pm
I agree – nice picture of wildflowers there.
April 25, 2010 at 5:31 pm
I’m curious. What are the benefits of a raw food lifestyle?
April 25, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Dandelions are nice, but they are also extremely invasive and can crowd out other plant species.
April 25, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Read this article in today’s Sunday Times. Scary!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7107309.ece
April 25, 2010 at 6:21 pm
I always welcomed them as the first rite of Spring. My parents on the other hand didn’t. They warned me their was hell to pay if I let so much as one go to seed. ( my favorite part) My sister and I invited the neighborhood kids over for a blow party (Yes that’s what we called it some of the older kids giggled excepting something else. A 15 year old boy ruined my innocese at age 10 telling me about REAL blow parties. That little pervert wanted me to blow him and at that age I thought that meant pissing in my mouth.Ecch!) My parents were pissed at first but were later enamored with our social skills but we were put on “permanent weed duty” thereafter. I suggested to the other kids a weed party in liu of another blow party that will simply out do the other, but it will be available in the summer when my grandmother sends it to me. Thats all I needed to say. And when the dandelions popped up the kids would ask me when was the party. I took a que from my Dad when he needed a red flag for some overhanging lumber out of the trunk and pressed my soid red bathing suit into service. So I said when you see my red bathing suit in my olive tree then you’ll know it’s time. Some came with the proper tools many didn’t and I pressed my Dad’s screwdrivers into service he didn’t feel the tit for tat on that one but I power hosed them best I could and I used tooth picks on the Phillips heads ( I deserved that for my stupidity) Now dear reader you’re wondering why the kids would be feeling it for doing my yard work? Well I’ll explain. My Grandmother famously had a line or in on the latest toys (she would never tell me her source saying it’s for me to know and you to find out, at the moment I think I figured out, more on that later)The kids in the neighborhood would
knock on my door and ask my Mother if I received a package from his grandmother from Chicago. “As I’ve said before when he receives the package he brings it out on the front lawn prefering that someone else opens it because he want’s to see “Christmas faces.” I would wrap it up sometimes by “Dinner’s ready.” If one of the kids eluded that his parents wern’t home yet I was shanghied as a baby sitter even though I was only 10 I was better with them then than when I was old enough to babysit myself.”Set another plate Mom.” I was exhausted after dinner and fell a sleep watching TV my Dad picking me up and taking me to bed the “orphaned kid” on the pull out couch which my Mom said I should join him. I said, “No I don’t feel like a talky talk sleepover right now I need my own bed. The next morning my Mom was livid over the phone apharently being a default babysitter and getting the kids number and calling his mother out on something like “My son’s impromptu toy show is over your child’s saftey and I don’t get so much as a phone call!” I walked out the front door which I rarely do prefering to sneak out the garage, She screamed “Where are you going?” “Away from this phone call, I said. “I’ll call you when I’m done,” she said. I sat under the olive tree and looked up because I forgot to get my red bathing suit and it was not there and there was little if any wind. I checked the place where my dad always knew where it was always doing wood projects he used to make it a plan “B” making it a plan “A’ because he could secure it better utilizing one of the leg holes. I asked him if he took it from the tree and he said he didn’t. The next day, Sunday afternoon my dad handed me the suit because a neighboor who heard the story needed it early Sunday morning and was desperate. I think it was a Whammo toy that was delivered just in time for my summer parties and that would have been “Monster Bubble” this came with a second wand that had maybe fifty little holes in it to flood the neighborhood with bubbles in minutes flat. Trouble is this toy Monster Bubble ( I think that’s the name) until months later. The mini wand was a big hit and we were always being asked how to get one and always told it was Grandma’s secret. The mini wand wasn’t available actually for years ( toy companies are famous for creating artificial demand this way) The neighboorhood became suspicious referring to my Grandma as uncanny Granny who secretly worked for toy companies for field reasearch like some kind of Neilson TV box.( One of my neighbors pulled rank as a Green Beret and demanded to see the inside of a van that had parked across the street too long where NOONE parks. He hauled the driver out and found no surveillence of any kind. He had owed me that information as his household was supposed to be empty and I went over to check out some noise and discovered him in a beret’s uniform shining his shoes and which appeared to be a marron one (the beret) I was told “you are correct no one is supposed to be here especially me. You are to tell no one of this encounter not my family or yours-anybody. He was outed as liar when his high ranking office was taken away from him because there was no record of his military service. If I’d known this before I could have testifed in a close session and probably saved his office. Records famously dissappeared in a fire under mysterious circumstances he knew that as I. When my Grandma moved to San Diego she would pull up in the green Oldsmobile (The kids found out they traded the old brown 50′s one)and wanted to see what’s in the trunk. She would always say something like I have to go to Hawthorne on Monday be patient. She would never let me go with her which I thought a little odd, and Hawthorne odder. Sometimes I’d see her taking the toys out of the boxes with my Grandfather breaking them down handed me one of the first Super Balls ripping it out of the package and scurrying it away and he said play with this. I saw the words “Research ,not for sale or delivery, crush by date.” DNI (I know this code means you can’t count this item as operating inventory)Hawthorne was the world hadquarters of Mattel corporation (Last time I saw it every window had been broken and stayed that way for years. It is said that the security their rivaled Military installations with high clearances to enter. It is said that Mattel hired moles to steal toys in different stages of development the other companies did the same with each other but doing Mattell is next to imposible. I believe this building is being saved for future use as a secured building that is evesdrop proof. My Mother always wondered why Mrs. Howe never invited me to her pool, probably because my friends would have her making sandwiches and cleaning towels for an eternity. (and my dad wanted a pool and I said no way.)I was invited just me and not my sister to her pool ( a little odd) I brushed off the advances of her son he was out I was undecided. I probably could of showed a little bit more empathy but I really felt , well, used. She never invited me back and I felt relieved as I would simply decline. Kids were really starting to piss me off with that f*****g super ball which took like forever to hit the shelves with a long dragged out hype campaign. When I told my grandmother the story of the kid who lost it she said “I told you never to let my toys out of your sight at least that’s what the kid told you. I said no I saw him bounce it over a house and we couldn’t find it. The neighboor kids are pissed at him because they can’t use it and jealous of me because I can get one. My grandmother sent me an unusual green one with a note “Better not loose this one.” Some time after my neighbor took me and his son to the dump (believe it or not his father made it an enjoyable expierence and others wanted to go and we just simply said “Pick Up only seats three” Can we go in back? Well, dugh we need that to take the stuff there and were along to help unload it.We arived at the went About 20 years later I was working a store where the owner asked me how the hell do you find a red flag for an oversize load for lumber he’s carting around
April 25, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Tsk, tsk. Those nasty pesky dandelions crowding our that grass. Some nerve. Quick, where’s the Round Up. (Tongue in cheek)
Did it ever occur that the plants know better about what they are doing than we do?
Hatred of dandelions is like the American habit of chopping off foreskins. Both are senseless. What is it about Nature that irks us so?
By the way the French word for dandelion is “pissenlit”, meaning “piss in bed”, literally. It was used to treat kids who had bladder control problems beyond infancy, as a herbal remedy. Besides it makes nice cheapo wine if you use only the yellow flower petals and some sugar.
Be well,
April 26, 2010 at 12:51 am
The mouse dropped and posted without letting me edit The Jewell at the dump was in the form of defective super balls which we loaded up in the back. Workers there helped me if I promised to give some love in his neighborhood “You white kids can afford to buy them we can’t take a single thing from here as employees.” I became known as surf boy ( I had a fairly dark tan and almost white hair in the summer people wondered what island nation I was from and one my close friend’s Mother would refer to me as Nazi boy “Because of the uncanny Aryan features.I wished she called me Aryan boy. She showed me a book with Hitler youth and I saw she wasn’t kidding.)I went off to the neighborhood across the tracks (literally) in a section called La Jolla a very poor section of North Orange County, Ca.definitely not to be confused with the town of the same name by San Diego. I arrived in my little red wagon with two big sacks of the unwanted super balls and tossed them around to the kids well into the evening. The guy at the dump saw and heard of the commotion and greeted me with open arms. He said your having dinner with us and I’m taking you home and putting your wagon in the pick up. I’ll have to call my parents but if they found out I -was here it would not be good for me.” He had heard from the neighborhood kids “That he was overheard wishing to live in La Jolla.” If your having problems at home you can live with us.” I laughed because I heard the thing “He must be cool if he wants to live in our place.” I laughed and said they were listening to a conversation I had with a teacher and my shadow (self explanatory)of were I lived and he pipped in La Jolla. Where I said “probably the best town in the world with surrounding forest and cliff side ocean views and temperatures in the 70′s year round. Even my rich kid friends never heard of it and most of the teachers as well. So I laughed and said “they only heard La Jolla and not the San Diego part.”I was called Man Nazi when my Mother and I was outed when we were seen donating clothes and toys “across the tracks”. I asked “Why not Nazi Man I get loosing the boy part of it “Your a man first a debatable Nazi second. When word got out you had a handle in your hood although we loved recalling surf boy with red waggon it was decided that you were one of us and you always keep your handle in your hood no matter where you live. The Mothers in our hood wanted to rename you “Surf Angel” ( I did not surf but I so was the iconic image)That’s when it was decided once and for all he was to be referred to as Nazi boy. When my mother and I was observed making the donations for one big garage sale our neighbors wanted us to meld with theirs so they can skype on the stuff I became Man Nazi. My mother was incredulous as why all these Hispanic kids mostly older teenagers like me now called me by my nickname. Before I could one of the Mother’s of the kids gave an impromtu speech about the legend of surf boy with red wagon. The guy from the dump came and explained that his red wagon really was needed and in fact borowed. Because my mother thought I lied about it. My Mother tearfully said “a lot of the kids in our neighborhood gave you a lot of crap which was known as the great missing superball caper, they all blamed you.” I said “now you know my secret I’ve kept all these years.” I agreed with someone that the kids in my neighborhood could easily afford them so why should they get free ones instead of the ones who couldn’t afford them? I made a promise that I had to deliver on myself. You went to that neighborhood all by yourself without even the aid of friends?” I knew they wouldn’t do it so I had to sneak away.” Who put you up to that promise?” “I’m not telling on that one that will remain a secret forever.” Everyone was crying now especially about the part of my Mom “refering to that neighborhood. I saw the guy at the dump really lose it and I told my Mom I think you know who it is but don’t even look at him this really does have to remain a secret.” She said, “And this is why this stuff is here instead of the sharks at the garage sale waiting for the feeding frenzy.” Exactly I got this stuff for free Why should I sell it when other people couldn’t even afford it at garage sale prices as if they would be even allowed in our neighborhood?” Now everyone was really balling. Much later when a kid yelled at our car and yelled, “Hey man Nazi.” I had to explain why my nickname had been changed. When I told her the story she started to cry so severly I asked her to pull over. The kid who called out my nickname his Mothers car pulled behind mine and she came out and went by the window and asked what’s wrong why is she crying?” “I told the story of my name change and that it was pretty much only known on the other side of the tracks not my side.” I see but no one uses that term anymore.” “I do and your right but I keep it for personal reasons.” “I think I know the reasons.” The kids in La Jolla went door to door in my neighborhood with their wagons collecting refundable soda bottles as they do in their own neighborhood for spending money. They told the story about my name change. Mothers crying at the door. When the wagons became full they said they would bring the bottles to them. When my Mom heard about it she said go to the store where you bought them and get a refund and give it to them.” She had a point as their local stores couldn’t handle that massive influx. The bottle fund drive was established. And fat Freddy was pissed because he no longer had all those bottles from his two cokes a day to buy candy as his was in the pool like everyone elses. The store owner I told him I’d be right back with a solution and I went to the car and got my trusty red suit ( a bit larger now) and handed it over “I can’t put that on my car.” Your kinda had on hauling wood in your new Deville any way and if a priest can use it hauling wood in his Rolls Royce from my old neighborhood I guess you can deal with it.Since when does a priest..” I don’t want to get into it, you probably wouldn’t believe me. But I chuckled at him saying “It clashes with your maroon interior” I said to the priest as he drove off. Since then when the owner of the plumbing supply place next door that he pays rent to told the story the owner of that place said “We may need it some time as customers often don’t return the flags I usually saw the same employee ask me for it. But one time he saw me come in the store with it on and nothing else go behind the counter and pull a “T” shirt off the rack and I slipped it on in seconds flat without even bothering to remove the price tag.I think his name was Jason (gorgeous red head it’s a true mystery why we never hooked up tons of people always commented on how cute we’d be together and to quit hanging out with young boys who haven’t even got their pit hairs yet. “They all picked up on me and I keep telling to do each other until they turn eighteen I can’t be seen around town with them even though many of their parents wish I’d hang with them.” Back to Jason “Looks like were screwed.” “No. Here you go.” I pulled off my suit and handed it to him. He said “Dude I’ve heard you do some crazy ass s**t before but this takes the cake. You’ll get arrested.” No but you better hand me one of the towels on the shelf right now before this customer comes in.” He did and the customer said “Why did you need that guys shorts? Couldn’t you wait till he finds some pants?” I answered “it’s sort of an emergency.” The customer said, “It’s sort of purvey.” “Yeah it could look a little kinky, but not really purvey. The dude is way cool and just saved my ass,” Jason said. I escorted the customer to the front door and nodded to my left and he can see Jason attaching the suit using a leg hole of the suit on one of the pipes that stuck out the longest. He said “I was wrong, you the man.” I laughed “I think he went from liking me to loving me, but the poor guy isn’t probably going to make going to make it even if I was on time he was sweating that 15 min. I was late. With the traffic he’ll end up taking the truck home or back depending where the job is. And I’ll be in this towel the whole night. I’ve done it before losing time on the waves and going around the counter with wet shorts underneath a towel.When dry the towel comes off though. And the owner said to me “I get more compliments than complaints about you wearing a bathing suit to work and just as many guys as girls, so for those few who do I tell them that they just wish he’d he wore shorter ones and show more thigh.” That customer came back and said, “Jason give you your shorts back” I just shook my head no. The customer handed me a pair of jeans,and said “I think we’re the same size.” I pointed to the pair of Levis that famously advertises to the world your size. And nodded yes. I had the kids of the neighborhood tell me if I was really naked under the towel and they demanded I show them. About a dozen came in and since there were no other customers I just flashed them as a group. Individuals came and if there were other customers I didn’t know I’d just go off to the side and do it. If the kids asked in front of customers I knew some of them would say “give them a show we won’t tell.” I put on the Levis given to me by the customer right in front of a customer that knew me.”Dude. I was going to ask you to prove it to me you should just go this way all night this is so classic. How’ed you know I wanted proof?” “I just know the body language and facial expressions give you a way and the little snicker left me no doubt, ” I said. I went to a pile of pants (they were streaming in all night and I left them in a shelf behind the counter just to see how many would come in. I picked up a pair I recognized that had a artfully placed hole in them that “ass boy” entertained me with waiting for the coast was clear he marched up and down the ailes making sure I saw his little shake.I picked them up and said to snickering boy showing the back of the butt of the pants with the strategical placed hole “Looks like ass boy wants to seduce me.” “Dude, those look way too small for you.”Giggling. “I know but It’s the thought that counts, I have half a dozen others and the nights still young.” I said I put the towel around me. “Dude why are you doing that?” “Stick around I’d suggest you watch from inside the cooler.” I got “Liars.” and “Why did you put your pants on and spoil all the fun.” The dude came out after a dozen or so encounters and a few more pants I took in and said “This is like Peyton Place where everyone knows your s**t.” “Sort of with more love than fights.” “Dude. I’d be a fool not to date you.” “I don’t like to date customers, instead I basically can always be seen on Brookhurst end of beach. It used to be my private getaway many years ago after realizing the pier scene was just that a scene. I was never alone there now sometimes as much as forty people that I knew would show up. You can show up and we’ll walk alone on the beach and maybe do Maxwell’s for lunch.” “You honestly think they’ll let us in dressed in just trunks.” I’m friends with the Maitre D’ and owner and several wait persons they all know where my clothes are and the deal is they’re free to use them on someone else in need. If they don’t have anything that fits you They’ll send me to some one who will set you up on approval consignment where you take the clothes wear them for the meal and return them or buy them. All my clothes are dry cleaned after use as most people don’t have underwear and prefer not to wear their trunks under them.” “Dude you got it all covered.” he said. “Don’t tell anybody about this they don’t have closet space per Se and if word got out on this whinier people will spoil it.” Dandelions, bubbles, red suits and Champagne on a terrace overlooking the ocean. Look how Dandelions turned into su
ch a long post for which I’m sorry. But I just wanted to say something about the simple pleasures in life merit the most attention.
April 26, 2010 at 4:38 am
When saving the dandelions, I think you missed one… I’m pretty sure that’s a dead dandelion in your hands, there in the first photo… :O
April 26, 2010 at 6:20 am
stunning, axel. like the poppy field in Oz, but yellow. thanks.
April 26, 2010 at 10:40 am
Thanks Nic! Look at this photo of a poppy-field I took last year:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ax-ro/3589279658/
I think it’s quite nice too…
April 26, 2010 at 12:09 pm
I think for some people the issue with dandelions is their non-native status. What cool north american flowers could grow in their place?
April 29, 2010 at 7:48 am
What an amazing place… Very beautiful!
May 2, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Did you know that Dandelions are an invasive species here is North America, they aren’t native to this land. They were brought over here intentionally or unintentionally by Europeans when the new world was being colonized
May 11, 2010 at 1:58 pm
I’m a little late commenting on this, but I still might as well. Yay! I love dandelions! Especially whenever they first show up. Everything is all plain and cold from winter and then out pop lots of little bits of yellow from the ground.