“Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
While my neighbors—indeed, almost all of contemporary culture—may bitch and moan and rage against nature, I take comfort in the beauty of the humble dandelion.
Weeds are mostly in the eye (and heart) of the beholder. Let me submit for your consideration the lowly dandelion. Was there ever a more beautiful yellow, a more deliciously luscious green? What a feast for the eyes!
And yet, our culture considers the dandelion to be a pest plant; not merely useless, but something to be eradicated. *sigh* Useless? Every part (excepting the seed puffball) of the dandelion is edible. The greens cleaned and steamed or boiled are not only tasty but highly nutritious. The root, after cleaning, peeling and then blanching, boiling or roasting is also highly nutritious and useful in many ways. And even the yellow bloom is nutritious and a treat for both the eye and the tastebuds in salads.
And what can I say of dandelion wine?
🙂
And, as much as our society spends to eradicate this nutritious food and lovely flowering plant, it thrives in spite of all the poisons thown its way. And have you ever attempted to pull a dandelion to get rid of the “weed”? Unless you get every last piece of the root, it’s more than likely to simply grow back.
Lilies of the field? Nah.
“Consider the dandelions how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
No matter how our society’s warped values may deem the dandelion to be an obnoxious weed, children who are as yet unpolluted by the depraved value system that would deem such a radiently bold and beautiful flower a weed, bring their mothers glad bouquets of dandelions every spring.
A tip o’ the hat to the Maniyak, who adroitly states the opposing view. 🙂
(The long time reader–all one of you–of twc will recognize this as a retread of a twc@blogspot post from May of 2005.)
I hate to admit it, but you’ve got me (an avowed dandilion hater) now thinking a bit differently about these ‘lion tooth’ flowers. indeed, there practically the favorite flowers of my 7 y.o. And, they are beautiful… as long as their in someone else’s lawn. 😉