OK, this has nothing to do with writing. Be warned, this is gardening stuff.

I must tell you that gardening, flowers, and all that nature connectivity is high on my list of likes. You can either find me in the library or the garden.  

There is nothing like the touch of mother earth, digging in the garden. Feeling your fingers in the compost.   February is the month for seedings and seedlings. Iwona and I have spent hours selecting what fruits, vegetables, herbs and salads to plant for the coming year.

As you know, I’m one of those crazy guys, and I decided to tear away and plant Dandelions.   WTF? Have I gone gaga?   Perhaps I’m already there, but for good reason.   Dandelions are incredible plants. Originating in Eurasia, brought to the Americas by European colonists, this plant now covers all temperate zones worldwide.

Taxacum officinale, is a simple perennial, belonging to the Asteraceae family, related to Daisys, chamomile, lettuce and even artichokes.   The word dandelion comes from the French “dent de lion” meaning lion’s tooth because of the jagged shape of the leaves.

In China, it is called “Pu Gong Ying” or earth nail because it has a long tap root.

That root is almost indestructible. If the plant is uprooted, even small sections of root can reintroduce the plant. Roots can survive almost indefinitely, like those of potatoes and other root crops.

I despair that it is called the common dandelion. It is one of the strongest plants on this planet. Ask anyone who loves a manicured lawn, why this is a love/hate relationship.

Dandelions have Herbaceous, medicinal, artistic, and even spiritual properties.

There is a spiritual cycle associated with this plant.   Let’s start with its reproduction. It is both sexual and asexual. Science calls it apomixis. I guess it can either take it or leave it?

I can harp on about this at great length, but I want to focus on more practical issues.   You see, Dandelions are important to local pollinating insects, this includes but is not limited to Bees. Every time you mow the lawn, and get rid of those yellow, Dandelions, you are denying pollinators. You may even be preventing them from life.

Every American HOA (Home Owners Association) and lawn enthusiast will stomp on this pretty flower. I am suggesting an alternative to allow it to thrive.

Grab your Dandelion and nurture it in a secluded pot. That way, you can enjoy the plant and its flowers. The Birds and the Bees will dance around your garden with delight.   Select any number of Dandelions as follows.

Use a simple spade or other tool to loosen their root allowing you to extract the plant and root.


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You can leave yellow flowers but remove the white seed flowers.

Clear any grass or other related roots/growths from the Dandelions.   Place the Dandelion root however short/long into a pot of soil.   Water it gently and leave it to grow.   Don’t worry if you wreck the root or damage the plant in any way, it’s pretty much indestructible. Make sure you have enough plant and root to hold, you can even put a few together in a single pot. Since they are in a pot, they will be easy to control, for instance snip off the white seed flowers as they appear, hence stopping their spread into other garden areas.  

Show them off to your friends and they’ll think you’re as crazy as I am.

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I will let out know what happens to my Dandelions.   Yeah, this isn’t hot news like if trump is doing right with the world.   I’m just trying to do right with my garden.