Glorious Yellow

Daffodils and Dandelions! How wonderfully creative Mother Nature is and how delightfully diverse. Spring brings a gradual greening of the great carpet at Merry Mount and a welcoming sight is the first burst of yellow from the daffodils.

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see You haste away so soon; As yet the early-rising sun Has not attain'd his noon. Stay, stay, Until the hasting day Has run But to the even-song; And, having pray'd together, we Will go with you along. We have short time to stay, as you, We have as short a spring; As quick a growth to meet decay, As you, or anything. We die As your hours do, and dry Away, Like to the summer's rain; Or as the pearls of morning's dew, Ne'er to be found again.

-Robert Herrick

The daffodils display with pride their beauty against the remaining blustering wind, sleet, and admixture of rain and snow of Winter. As the temperature rises, the “cups of butter” wither and fall asleep for another year.

But Mother Nature provides more yellow. As I gazed this week at the vast number of little yellow blossoms that dotted the yards of Merry Mount, I marveled at the ability of Taraxacum to germinate and spread.

Why do people find dandelions so offensive? Perhaps it is because they have chosen to believe the advertisements of the fertilizer industry:

Kill Visible Dandelions

The best way to attack dandelions is to kill the whole plant, taproot and all, and then keep new weeds from establishing themselves in your lawn. Kill dandelions and feed at the same time to help crowd out future weeds by applying a weed-and-feed product such as Scotts® Turf Builder® Triple Action or Scotts® Turf Builder® Weed & Feed in the spring. If you have dandelions growing in your St. Augustine, centipede, or zoysia lawn, use Scotts® Turf Builder® Southern Triple Action or Scotts® Turf Builder® Bonus® S Southern Weed & Feed instead. If a broad application doesn't kill all of them, spot treat any remaining dandelions 2 to 4 weeks later with a ready-to-use product like Scotts® Spot Weed Control for Lawns. Just be sure to follow the instructions on the label.

Scotts’ net income in 2016: 314.8 million dollars.

I say, “Change the way you look at things, and what you look at changes.” Why not look at the lawn of dandelions and see a miracle of nature. Beautiful yellow flowers followed by perfectly shaped seed pods. I also recommend reading: https://wellnessmama.com/5680/dandelion-herb-profile/

I picked a faded dandelion And blew it in the air It's tiny little parachutes Went floating everywhere. They caught the wind And danced awhile Bending to and fro In splendid ballerina style. Finally as the wind grew still They floated back to earth And bedded in the dark warm soil To start their new rebirth. When next [spring] comes And dandelions are everywhere I'll pick another faded flower And blow it in the air.

-Janet L. Niehaus

Thanks Mother Nature for daffodils and “dandy lions”!

CPW