Dandelions?

[Two_Sheds]

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?

1) an apology to Cupcake is in order

2) if you aren't letting them seed, then they won't affect anyone else. So what's the problem?

[rana]

The multitude of bright yellow flowers early in the season is a delight to see so early in the season (preferably in someone elses lawn)..............

[Two_Sheds]

The multitude of bright yellow flowers early in the season is a delight to see so early in the season (preferably in someone elses lawn)..............

yes, they're all in my lawn! I've now got more dandy-doodles than grass, cos the previous owner never bothered weeding or mowing.

btw, they are really good early food for the first bees, so I let a few flower (but never go to seed)

[TonyF]

As Jardiniere said, over here they're part of the everyday way of life and you can also buy them in supermarkets.

Anne Atkins (not THE Anne Atkins, vicar's wife etc., surely?) if you want some I'll happily buy you a packet of the seeds and post them to you if you cover the costs.

I love them, the gardens here, bit on the wild side, are full of them and you see fields full of them in some places where the locals grow them for food. Young and tender, they're not too bad, sort of like a peppery salad plant like rocket. But caution folks, remember their old English name is wet-the-bed and in France they're called pis en lit!

[chrispy]

Poor Cupcake!!!!!

my missus grows them in pots for the guinea pig......

much to my disgust!

[zazen999]

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!

I took it to mean, pick dandelions from around and about - there's that many of them around they probably don't need extra cultivation.

But if you do want to, and don't want to upset the lottie neighbours; enviromesh them as Snadger says.

[anneatkins]

Oh goodness. I wasn't being prickly.

I was being honest.

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.

Being honest and being hasty are not the same.

I was pretty sure she didn't mean it how it sounded and I said as much.

Also, to whoever said an apology is in order, I disagree since I neither said nor intended anything rude. I think I was actually quite polite in asking for clarification rather than just feeling like others should be allowed to grow what they like but I should not.

I guess it's all how one takes it, isn't it?

I cannot go roaming about collecting dandelions - hence my OP.

If I wanted to go around collecting them (or if I were a rude, thoughtless person), I would not have asked advice on how best to grow them but contain them as well.

yes, they're all in my lawn! I've now got more dandy-doodles than grass, cos the previous owner never bothered weeding or mowing.

btw, they are really good early food for the first bees, so I let a few flower (but never go to seed)

Yes you see and we don't have them in our lawn. We never really have. No idea why.

[Snadger]

une grande compréhension de la langue bien dit

My thoughts as well...........I think!

[anneatkins]

1) an apology to Cupcake is in order

2) if you aren't letting them seed, then they won't affect anyone else. So what's the problem?

Because as someone else said, they can go to seed suddenly! I tend (when I had them on my orchard) to always get them just after the heads bloomed - but it was more to put the neighbours' minds at ease, than my own worry over them seeding.

I posted already re cupcake.

I don't feel I've said anything rude - I was explaining my position and why (as someone else stated - she doesn't know my circumstances) I cannot go walking about in search of a dandelion patch (lol!).

We use dandelion flowers for brewing, and have a family (3 children & dog) outing finding and picking them.

Hi

Our children are all under 3. I have twin boys and a little girl. The boys are 3 in June and the girl is 2 in October.

So, chasing them all over creation *whilst* first finding and then picking is hard for me as well as an awful LOT of walking for the little legs.

Anyway, I think the mesh is an idea or maybe I'll plant them in my own back garden, instead - just to solve the problem.

I just hoped there'd be a way to do it and also keep the neighbours happy simultaneously.

[janeyo]

My lawn is full of them, tried over and over again to get rid of them (front and back lawn) - previous owners did little to prevent weeds or grass care-, didn't know there were so many things you could do with them or that they were a delicacy in France (and me a French teacher too lol). Maybe I will stop fighting them....

[janeyo]

If you post your whereabouts too maybe some of us can let you come and relive our gardens of them (I've got a garden full of toys suuitable for your little ones as got children similar ages) Make a day out of it!

[anneatkins]

Hello, I've seen your blog- nice!

I am down in the SE, in Kent.

[janeyo]

Thanks, I have worked my *ss off for 15 months! lol

You are a bit too far away then maybe for a dandelion day out. I don't like the smell of the sap stuff when you pick the heads off. Yuk.

[starloc]

I bought some dandelion seeds a couple of weeks ago.....only because they came with burdock seeds, but i am growing to grow a large pot of them as i think they look great, i bought a make your own dandelion and burdock sed pack from ebay.
I cant see what the problem of them popping up all over the place is realy, they look good? ( not that im going to let them blow all over the place though!)

ive never eaten them though as i dont eat most things that grow , yet ,for now im going to make everyone else eat them!

[Two_Sheds]

I cant see what the problem of them popping up all over the place is realy, they look good?

the problem is that they out-compete lawn grass and veggies, are very hard to eradicate from your lawn, and will take over the whole world if you give them a chance.