With so many wildflowers about to bloom across the North West, it can be very easy to overlook those that share our gardens. Even more so for those that are often seen as pests or weeds.
The Dandelion is a great example of this. Although often seen as a common weed, it is a flower steeped in mythology as well as having french connections in it’s name.
The flower itself has long been a celestial symbol and is still the only British flower to represent three celestial bodies:
The bright yellow flower represents the sun.- The white seed head represents the moon.
- And the airborne seeds drifting on the breeze represent the stars.
The bright yellow flower represents the sun.The plant is also very useful to humans, with different parts of the plant being used for food, medicine and colouring.
In fact, if we went back in time over 200 years, flowers such as dandelions were welcomed into the garden and it was the grass that was removed as a weed.
The name Dandelion derives from the French – ‘Dent de Lion’, which means ‘Tooth of the Lion’. This refers to the incredibly spiky looking leaves that appear similar to large teeth.
Just a narrow strip of uncut grass being left around the edge of the lawn can make a huge difference to nature. Perhaps it’s time to change our view on lawn flowers, seeing them not as a nasty invader, but as a welcome visitor bringing benefits to our garden, its wildlife and especially to us.
Don’t forget…
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