Sunshine’s Macro Monday: Dandelion!

~ oneletterup

Sunshine’s Macro Monday #40

~~~

As my late father-in-law used to say…

There is no such thing as a weed!

Keep in mind that his life’s work was a business that involved searching deep in the woods – spade or hook in hand – digging up and collecting a wide variety of wildflowers and plants. Which he shipped across the country and overseas. I worked for him one summer while I was dating his son, my future husband. It was back breaking hard work. Under a cloud of bug spray, I was determined to keep up.  I had no idea what plant was what. But my father-in-law did and I was continually impressed at his expertise and memory.

So if there’s no such thing as a weed, then why all the weed killers for sale in hernia busting bags at the garden supply store…that happen to include “dandelion” on the list of what gets eliminated?

Is it because dandelions sprout up on their own…uncontrolled…independent…not easily contained in a neat boxed off garden bed? A splash of yellow appearing uninvited in the middle of an otherwise well tended green lawn?

They look like flowers to me.

I used to enjoy the grubby handfuls of dandelions my smiling young children would bring to the kitchen door. Carefully collected from various surprise appearances throughout our half acre…Mommy these are for you!

Yesterday, I spotted a dandelion that survived the condo association’s weed killing efforts.

dandelion

It was all alone in the sunshine.

Three cheers!

Published by oneletterup

26 thoughts on “Sunshine’s Macro Monday: Dandelion!”

  1. I think I agree with your father-in-law. Our neighbour is fanatical about removing his dandelions, and I think he must loath our laissez-faire attitude, but they are rather bright and cheery.

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  5. I got a bit teary…same memory of the young ones bringing a bouquet of dandelions…gift of the “the pure in heart”. Though I’m not educated sufficiently to tell the difference, some weeds surely look like plants which deserve more honor 🙂

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  7. beautiful capture of the dandelion that made it.
    Enjoyed hearing about your father-n-law’s work (and quote)
    — what a cool job he had – I love being around people with botany skills.
    —
    side note – I was just taking some photos of dandelions for a writing project – I was trying to find one that had the huge base of tap root they make.
    It amazes me how a mature dandelion weed can destroy a patch of lawn whereas some other weeds seem to do little damage. hm
    and cheers to the dandelion for the way some herbalists use it for liver cleansing,

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  8. I miss those bouquets the kids would bring me too. They were so proud of them. That’s awesome that you passed an in-law test by working side-by-side with your future father-in-law. If you want me to send you a bouquet of dandelions, my yard is covered with them. No weed killers on our lawn, the dandelions help to draw in the bees – to help the trees – oh, yes, if you please … Okay, I’ll stop trying to rhyme. LOL!

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  9. Pingback: Beams of Sunshine #40 | Heaven's Sunshine

  10. The photo reminded me of a poem I wrote some years back … if you’ll indulge me! Just change it to Palatino and italicize it for best effect!

    On the Death of a Fellow Poetry Student

    If you notice how the early morning fog
    sits lightly on the field, muting down its lively yellow…

    if it interests you that hillsides sprout dandelions overnight
    the next day tossing them off into the void…

    if you notice a country pond after a rain
    and wonder if some portion of it has been displaced,
    or only for a time, misplaced …

    like when a friend dies, how a portion of the fluid
    in our bodies is set aside for tears…

    we’ll be forgiven if we generalize from such moments:
    that not only water seeks its own level; life does too…

    the morning fog does not displace the yellow grass
    beneath it. Though the field is hiding, it abides.

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