This month’s Monthly Meet-up Photo Challenge hosted by Wild Daffodil asks us to consider flower as our theme. You may have already noticed that I am a fan of spring flowers. And the humble dandelion is no exception. In fact, you may have noticed that the same flower already featured in last month’s challenge “yellow“.
Well since then, the dandelions around us have really come into their own. They adorn my “lawn”, the road verges and many fields. They are like a milky way of yellow and green. Often seen only as a “weed”, the dandelion has so much to offer. You can make salad from the young leaves, wine from it flowers, and a coffee substitute from its roots.

Dandelions
As some of you will have heard me say before, dandelions are also great for bees, butterflies and hoverflies. These pollinators were all using the flowers when I completed my bee and butterfly transect last Saturday. Pollinators can collect both pollen and nectar from the flowers.
If you let your dandelions go to seed, you will also provide a valued food source for birds such as chaffinches, bullfinches and goldfinch.

Bullfinch eating dandelion seeds (not best photo as taken from inside)
I love the dandelion. I think it has been give a bad rap. I refuse to use chemicals on my lawn or anywhere in my yard, unfortunately I’m in the minority in my neighbourhood.
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Why do people dislike them so much? Here people are constantly cutting their lawns, so there is no hope than any flower gets a chance to show it’s wonderful bloom be they daisy or dandelion!
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Agreed!
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I find a lawn full of dandelions so cheerful. One of my earliest memories is of the field next to my aunt’s house in full bloom. I wanted to go pick fistfuls, but wasn’t allowed to leave the yard. Probably why I remember it so well!
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Sounds like a lovely memory to have Eliza, but maybe you were frustrated not being able to get your hands on those yellow blooms!
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That I was! I stood there gazing at them longingly!
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🙂
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Thanks to you, I have decided to leave my dandelions alone this year!
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Wow, thank you Cathy. That has made my day:)
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I too look on dandelions in a new light – that is – I no longer feel guilty about not getting rid of them! Thank you for your lovely sunny entry – and a Bullfinch bonus! Yippee!
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Thank you:)
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Hadn’t known which birds fed on dandelions – good old finches. Such is your effect that now my husband is leaving the weeding of many places in the garden as they are natural & food for the birds!
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That is great!
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