Dandelions?

[anneatkins]

Hello, I am just on the lists waiting my turn for a plot now.

I live in Maidstone, Kent.

My question is: Unlike most folks, I *like* dandelions and wish to have a section of them on my allotment *if* there's a way to do it without vexing the neighbours.

I use dandelions for a LOT of things around the home, including: Dandelion wine (heads), salad (leaves) and tea for water retention (leaves) and more.

Now, these are all "harvested" before they go to seed, but still, I think people who see them in a nice bed might think

So, any thoughts?

[RowanStar]

personally mate my thoughts with the other people is 'to hell with them' it's your allotment patch mate, just explain politely why you want to grow them to the people, thats what i would do anyway

[cupcake]

As long as you don't let them go to seed I think that's ok, but I would have a word with your allotment neighbours to set their minds at rest. But surely you could source the flowers somewhere else?

[anneatkins]

I think I am misunderstanding your post.

Are you suggesting that I should buy dandelions somewhere instead of growing them?

We can source virtually everything somewhere else, can we not?

Or, are you suggesting that in addition to raising 3 children, taking care of our home and working part-time, I should also drive around in search of dandelions?

I beg your pardon, but as I am sure this is not what you're suggesting, I think I have misunderstood something, here.

Please clarify that statement?

Thanks and best wishes!

[Jardiniere]

the french grow them as a salad veg ...you can even buy the seeds in the garden shop (pisse au lit) ....i just feed any that grow to the chicks as i dont like the taste...

[anneatkins]

They're lovely, but NOT if you let them go to seed all over your garden

I am wondering if I can grow them under something or other, just for the peace of mind of others - when the time comes.

If anyone has an idea (as I said, I was considering a mosquito net cloche) I'd love to hear it.

Collecting them in the "wild" is not really an option for me.

[Snadger]

They're lovely, but NOT if you let them go to seed all over your garden

I am wondering if I can grow them under something or other, just for the peace of mind of others - when the time comes.

If anyone has an idea (as I said, I was considering a mosquito net cloche) I'd love to hear it.

Collecting them in the "wild" is not really an option for me.

Enviromesh?

[Sweepster]

What about surrounding them with a decorative border of other, more socially acceptable flowers? I think as long as it looks like 'yes, chaps, I'm doing this deliberately', rather than 'I haven't visited my plot for 8 months' you shouldn't have a problem. They even have their own page in Alan Titchmarsh's 'The Kitchen Gardener' (apparently you can blanch them with an upturned flowerpot 'to provide large, tender, pale-coloured leaves'

[lynda66]

i always leave a dandelion to grow in my garden, not cos i want to eat them, just cos they were my grandads favourite standing joke and it makes me feel like he's still around, i just make sure to not let them seed and theres no problem ..... can't see what anyones problem would be against them ... just go for it

[rogesse]

Anneatins - how prickly towards cupcake!

I personally get rid as fast as I can - I do use most of the plant plus root - but don't neet it in my veg/herb bits!

[The amateur]

I was reading that apparently you can blanche them and it makes the leaves taste even nicer. I wondered about giving it a go but don't know if you can use the wild ones that just appear in your garden.

[harrybrew69]

the french grow them as a salad veg ...you can even buy the seeds in the garden shop (pisse au lit) ....i just feed any that grow to the chicks as i dont like the taste...

une grande compréhension de la langue bien dit

[SarzWix]

Anne, I think you were a little hasty in your reply to cupcake, since we have no idea of your personal circumstance she couldn't possibly have been 'suggesting' any of those things.

We use dandelion flowers for brewing, and have a family (3 children & dog) outing finding and picking them. I have enough popping up in the lawn and borders to use in salads if I wanted to, but I find them bitter to eat, so I pull/dig them up.

I'd be a bit wary of my next door plot neighbours growing a bed full of them unless they were covered somehow, they can go from flower to seed-head pretty quick...

[Nickerly]

Do you have any space at home to grow them in containers? Would be easy to pick because they'd be right on your doorstep.

Growing them in a pretty container would be another way to show your plot neighbours that the dandelions are your crops and not weeds.

Or how about growing something like beans on two frames and growing the dandelions in the patch in between the two rows?

[Nickerly]

the french grow them as a salad veg ...you can even buy the seeds in the garden shop (pisse au lit) ....i just feed any that grow to the chicks as i dont like the taste...

ummm... does that translate to what I think it translates too?

I thought that was just an urban myth