tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post1697011776331999518..comments2024-03-28T17:44:17.403-07:00Comments on The Weaver of Grass: Dandelions.The Weaver of Grasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13947971556343746883noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-46178727211224525782019-04-25T02:18:32.614-07:002019-04-25T02:18:32.614-07:00Really enjoying your posts about early spring Gran...Really enjoying your posts about early spring Grandma! Funnily enough I have been admiring the dandelions too. Driving back home through the Highlands last week, one bit of road was thick with a border of dandelions either side for a good mile or so: it was beautiful in the sunshine. I have since noticed the roadside, or those islands of grass that often run in the middle of a larger road, are a great place to observe them, as they are left to create cover freely. U loves picking them too, especially the dandelion "clocks". Emily xMummy and Mehttp://emilyriv.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-27350278339788553222019-04-17T14:02:26.810-07:002019-04-17T14:02:26.810-07:00This afternoon I saw a big fat beauty of a bumble ...This afternoon I saw a big fat beauty of a bumble bee on my bluebells, first one of the season. I'm in quandary over spraying again this year for mosquito control. Last year, my first time trying it, I have to admit I hardly had any bites for the first summer ever (and am so allergic to them never having them as a child in UK I guess). Sadly though, we had few bees and no butterflies last summer - the garden felt 'dead' and I felt guilty! I just don't think I can go through that again this year so must tell the service I have decided against it and will just have to deal with the itchy bites as I've done for so many years here in the south.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11915239653283205065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-47065754136922813212019-04-17T12:31:53.528-07:002019-04-17T12:31:53.528-07:00Please don't allow him to use wedkillrr! It ki...Please don't allow him to use wedkillrr! It kinds the bees as well as the dandelions.. and dandelions are some of the earliest bee food! It makes me cringe.. I wish they'd outlaw the damned stuff!lyndahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10273483704912191189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-67317023269296939232019-04-17T12:21:27.990-07:002019-04-17T12:21:27.990-07:00I leave my dandelions in the front garden, until t...I leave my dandelions in the front garden, until the clocks develop and then I pick them and discard. I do love grape hyacinths, but I’ve not been brave enough to plant any, due to their voracity. Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12642030639809060976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-77315239851975249022019-04-17T10:42:02.794-07:002019-04-17T10:42:02.794-07:00Sounds like a great idea Carol, why keep buying fl...Sounds like a great idea Carol, why keep buying flowers from a garden centre when you're getting all those for free.Derek Faulknerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05140363868104172311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-55695720524177689952019-04-17T09:57:24.081-07:002019-04-17T09:57:24.081-07:00I totally agree about plants choosing where they w...I totally agree about plants choosing where they want to be. I grow a dandelion patch next to my chicken run because they love dandelions but my patch doesn't grow anything like as well as they grow wild.<br /><br />I also have violets that grow where they want to more so than planted and grape hyacinths taking over the entire garden. Primulas also self seed all over the garden and likewise they are too pretty to take out but I wonder if left to itself my garden would be full of just a few rampant things. Pulminaria is another self seeded everywhere in my garden. I too have had no luck with lily of the valley.Carol Caldwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02800245681845689902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-34408856091571246492019-04-17T06:45:53.401-07:002019-04-17T06:45:53.401-07:00Dandelions are my garden challenge this weekend. I...Dandelions are my garden challenge this weekend. I hope it does no rain!Joanne Noragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16601010208310707750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-7749354080207843802019-04-17T03:49:05.469-07:002019-04-17T03:49:05.469-07:00Thanks to all who left their comments about the b...Thanks to all who left their comments about the bees. Neither my gardener nor I had thought about that and I shall make certain he doesn't kill them again - a very valuable point.<br /><br />Beachcomber - I have never got Lily of the Valley to grow well - but keep trying.The Weaver of Grasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13947971556343746883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-51524137866802016272019-04-17T00:05:29.558-07:002019-04-17T00:05:29.558-07:00I read that you could dig a dandelion, nail it to ...I read that you could dig a dandelion, nail it to your shed door for the summer and plant it again in autumn still alive and growing. Maybe it’s because they are so tough we just don’t value them. Jennyffhttp://www.mylifeinflipflops.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-18620079930732974122019-04-16T23:47:34.851-07:002019-04-16T23:47:34.851-07:00I spend time every year trying to get grape hyacin...I spend time every year trying to get grape hyacinths to flourish in my garden with very little success so I was amazed to hear that they are treated like weeds round your way.<br />Another plant I struggle to grow is lily of the valley despite my next door neighbour pulling them out by the trowel full.<br />They were my mother's favourite and I’d love to grow them.<br />Sue<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-86828197051408284102019-04-16T23:36:02.400-07:002019-04-16T23:36:02.400-07:00I have no garden of my own and know very little ab...I have no garden of my own and know very little about gardening, but what the others have written here about weedkiller harming bees and other insects (not just by killing their food) makes sense to me.<br />As you say, it is a pity dandelions are considered weeds - so why not stop considering them as such? They are beautiful yellow flowers, useful for all sorts of insects, and their leaves can make excellent salads.Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05704656564078750607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-28159157121491812492019-04-16T21:57:55.110-07:002019-04-16T21:57:55.110-07:00The small daisy like flower you refer to would be ...The small daisy like flower you refer to would be Mexican Fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus).<br />Justjill makes a valuable point about weedkilling dandelions, they are a valuable food plant for bees. In this area budget cuts has seen grass verge cutting reduced considerably and so dandelions, etc grow in profusion for a lot longer, providing valuable food for all manner of insects. Bees need all the help that they can get.Derek Faulknerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05140363868104172311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-16613422339390992832019-04-16T21:05:30.368-07:002019-04-16T21:05:30.368-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.sshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15453785054714635582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-48347965935990578122019-04-16T21:00:01.958-07:002019-04-16T21:00:01.958-07:00I have always thought it surprising that no-one ha...I have always thought it surprising that no-one has tried to hybridise the Dandelion. It is such a hardy plant, and very tenacious; it could be a winner!Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-12466049209991125282019-04-16T15:13:46.546-07:002019-04-16T15:13:46.546-07:00Dandelions should be left alone at this time of ye...Dandelions should be left alone at this time of year. There is very little pollen for the bees at the moment.northsider https://www.blogger.com/profile/00716743611909673869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-10767760051679027742019-04-16T13:45:29.499-07:002019-04-16T13:45:29.499-07:00Grape hyacinth, love them. I had a small pot once ...Grape hyacinth, love them. I had a small pot once and it was wonderful. No dandelions here and if we did the bunnies would take care of them. I love them also.<br />I use no weed killer as all the wild critters will eat the in a month when summer is here in full blast.<br /><br />cheers, parsnipangryparsniphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17236094827257446781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-16057812634452909982019-04-16T12:44:59.756-07:002019-04-16T12:44:59.756-07:00Dandelions are the first plant to flower for the b...Dandelions are the first plant to flower for the bees. Weedkiller on them is taken by the bees and kills the bees.justjillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17253881958131548009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-24788809596941276592019-04-16T12:02:02.515-07:002019-04-16T12:02:02.515-07:00In days gone by dandelions were such a useful plan...In days gone by dandelions were such a useful plant providing food, medicine and goodness knows what. They are a very cheerful sight especially early in the year when not much else has got started. I remember one year when they were very plentiful, we had moved house and the small paddock at the back was full of them. I thought of my grandmother who made country wines and wondered what she would do with them. I discovered that they make a delicious white wine, if you leave it long enough to bottle!Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06826501916623305535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280582018791422638.post-57942299806824950552019-04-16T11:44:22.856-07:002019-04-16T11:44:22.856-07:00My grass gets cut once a fortnight and the dandeli...My grass gets cut once a fortnight and the dandelions never stop coming up and are there again to be cut each fortnight. I can't imagine your estate dandelions are going to disappear for a whole year next week. I use the leaves for tea.Rachel Phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16053924416805878169noreply@blogger.com