Dandelions, love 'em or hate 'em?

Jump to Last Post 1-26 of 26 discussions (40 posts)
  1. Yard of nature profile image61
    Yard of natureposted 13 years ago

    A lot of people spend a lot of money killing and whacking dandelions. Others love the "weed" for their bright beauty, especially when they take over a field. In seed, they capture light and are wonders of geometry. Some people cook with them, some make wine (If you've never read Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine," do yourself a favor and do so) wine with them. As kids we made chains, bracelets and rings out of the stems.
    So what do you think?
    Love dandelions or pass the weed killer cuz you hate them?

    1. profile image0
      Brenda Durhamposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I rather like them!

      Hubby hates 'em.  He's the one who has to mow the yard and spray the weeds, etc...

    2. pinkboxer profile image61
      pinkboxerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I think dandelions are beautiful. They gave me special joy as a child. As I watched those seeds fly in the wind, I thought it was fascinating. As for my lawn, I never kill them. But I do control them.

  2. Cagsil profile image70
    Cagsilposted 13 years ago

    I really do not love or hate them. I guess I'm indifferent. I do not have a house or yard and when I see them in other yards or growing somewhere, I like the color. It adds a little more positiveness to the beauty of nature. smile

  3. Origin profile image59
    Originposted 13 years ago

    If your trying to make your lawn a solid green, then it's probably best to get rid of them. On the same token, I do like how they look in meadows and such!

  4. jrich1936 profile image59
    jrich1936posted 13 years ago

    Dandelions are beautiful, and unique almost like a parasite in there ability to spread out over such far areas with the right wind current. Its amazing what plants and life can do!

  5. valbond profile image59
    valbondposted 13 years ago

    I like them, they look good in their natural environment, not so great in the vegetable plot.

    Also dandelion wine is great - made from the yellow petals only and picked on St George's Day.

    1. kephrira profile image61
      kephriraposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I used to like dandelion and burdock pop, but I never see it any more.

  6. Jeff Berndt profile image74
    Jeff Berndtposted 13 years ago

    Love 'em. I put the leaves in salads.

    Never tried making dandelion wine. Someday...

  7. kerryg profile image84
    kerrygposted 13 years ago

    I love them! They're such cheery flowers, and they're important for bees, too, which need all the help they can get right now.

  8. Anolinde profile image81
    Anolindeposted 13 years ago

    I like them well enough as long as they aren't in my yard tongue  My daughter loves them, though!  Dandelion wine sounds like something I might like to try making someday .. but wouldn't that require a LOT of petals?

  9. profile image0
    MichiganLoverposted 13 years ago

    I love dandelion greens in salad and soup.  I don't pour weed killer on them but do mow them over since they grow like...well you know. wink

  10. Lisa HW profile image62
    Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

    I don't want eat them or drink them in the form of wine, or anything; but I kind of like them, at least as long as they're still yellow.  I'm not really a fan once their gray hair blows away and leaves them pretty ugly-looking; and I'm not a big fan when they get so bad it makes raking the lawn a major challenge.  You gotta admire their strength and endurance, though, don't you.....    smile

  11. Rafini profile image83
    Rafiniposted 13 years ago

    I like dandelions but would like them better if they were controllable...big_smile  Never had dandelion wine - course, I don't really like wine either....big_smile

  12. Richieb799 profile image77
    Richieb799posted 13 years ago

    Isn't there a myth that if you lie next to them in the grass they make you need a wee lol

    1. profile image0
      Kathryn LJposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Based on fact Richie, they're a diuretic.  It's an old wives tale that if you pick them you wet the bed but if you ingest them either as a tea or in a salad they will get rid of bloating by stimulating the kidneys.  Not that you look old enough to suffer from such an old git affliction.

  13. IzzyM profile image86
    IzzyMposted 13 years ago

    Dandelions...ah...takes me back. as a child, my rabbit loved the leaves. I used to collect them for him.
    Then you got to play "he loves me..he loves me not..ne loves me" as you blew the seed heads.
    I lived in the country - they were all around- bright pretty yellow flowers that bobbed and danced in the wind.
    Then my dad went through a wine-making phase (he was always taking up hobbies) and could I collect - like - 10 million dandelion flower heads so he could make wine?
    I was...11?...12?
    Yup, no probs.
    He made his wine...no idea how because I didn't pay the slightest bit of attention, but then he had all these glass lemonade bottles full of them in the attic.
    And one day I tried one. It was lovely. I was thirsty, lifted that bottle to my lips and downed the lot!
    I can distinctly remember walking into our kitchen, and the floor - the cheek of it - came straight up to meet me. Oddest sensation ever!

    I don't really remember much more, but my mum made me go to school next day and I spent half of it in sick bay!! And no, I didn't touch the stuff again.

    1. Anolinde profile image81
      Anolindeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      LOL!  What an endearing story smile  Thanks for sharing!

      1. IzzyM profile image86
        IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Hey that's a classic!
        Most young kids these days are into the shop bought cheap wine...but hey old Izzy had to have the home made DANDELION wine!
        Its been many years but its one of those things in life you don't completely forget lol, and I don't mind sharing smile

  14. ediggity profile image60
    ediggityposted 13 years ago

    They look good in the wild, but not on a nice green lawn.

    1. IzzyM profile image86
      IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I should take photos now of my nice green lawn, even if it doesn't yet stretch to cover my garden (I have a creeping lawn).
      The house next door has been abandoned, and the dandelions have grown right through their red chip covering, and all I can see when I look there now is dandelion seed heads.
      That'll be my lawn in a few months!

      1. ediggity profile image60
        ediggityposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Do your self a favor, spend the 15 bucks, go over there, and put the weed killer on it.

        1. IzzyM profile image86
          IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          It's too late.

          As I continually tell my partner, you have to cut a weed off at the flowering stage, once it is gone to seed it is like pissing in the wind.

  15. profile image0
    ralwusposted 13 years ago

    pee-the-beds and dandelion toes

  16. menith profile image67
    menithposted 13 years ago

    I love dandelions! They are a very useful herb. The entire plant can be eaten, although the leaves are very bitter when they are older. The roots can be roasted and ground for a great coffee substitute. I recommend adding in some chickory though. And don't drink too much, because it is a diaretic. Dandelion wine is on my list of things to try, I hear it's wonderful.

    1. IzzyM profile image86
      IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Absolutely...hic! <g>

  17. livelonger profile image85
    livelongerposted 13 years ago

    Braising them and serving them on top of fava bean mash is really delicious. tongue

    1. IzzyM profile image86
      IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Each to their own...but didn't fava beans feature in the Hannibal Lector films?
      Kinda puts you off! ... a bit.

      1. livelonger profile image85
        livelongerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        lol I had forgotten about that. Although the dried white beans cook down to a sweet, creamy mash that is totally unlike the green beans Hannibal >gulp!< liked to eat with his liver.

        1. IzzyM profile image86
          IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          And what was the rest of it...with a nice chianti?
          Aww forget it....I ain't eating or drinking THAT! lol
          Anyway I am going to fail so big time at writing food hubs...unless I try a  Hannibal Lector cookbook...now there's a thought!
          Mix my health knowledge with cookery! big_smile big_smile big_smile

  18. Joni Douglas profile image82
    Joni Douglasposted 13 years ago

    I hate them in the front yard, don't mind them too much in the back yard. Sounds weird given that we actually hang out in the back yard and only sit on the front porch occasionally.

  19. Yard of nature profile image61
    Yard of natureposted 13 years ago

    It's kind of fascinating that such a common plant elicits such differing responses. Very interesting reading.
    My dandelions have gone to seed now and I've been meaning to mow at least some of them, but I'm afraid it's low on the priority list ... though rising. It's one nice thing about living in a woods with little traditional lawn, my neighbors don't see it so I can leave it go as wild as I want. Thus the dandelions again were spared.

  20. cheaptrick profile image74
    cheaptrickposted 13 years ago

    When I was a kid my dad showed me how to cut the greens and make a red wine vinaigrette to splash over them.Best salad I ever had.

  21. AEvans profile image74
    AEvansposted 13 years ago

    They do look beautiful but they have to go it is the dandelions or the allergies so I always choose to call in the weed control team, man the pump and spray , spray , spray although I feel horrible after doing it. sad

  22. wingedcentaur profile image65
    wingedcentaurposted 13 years ago

    Personally I have always loved dandelions. I only learned a few years ago that people considered them weeds and try to kill them! I think the bright yellow makes a wonderful color collaboration with the green of a lawn. They have so many uses, as you indicate. Pick them by all means, but don't slaughter them, for goodness sake.

  23. Rod Marsden profile image66
    Rod Marsdenposted 13 years ago

    Apparently you can make wine out of dandelions. Maybe that might be a good reason to have them around. Maybe harvest them and enjoy the wine. Just a thought mind.

  24. profile image0
    Justine76posted 13 years ago

    I love how they never give up. You can find dandilions growing out a crack in a sidewalk when there is no plant life for miles anywhere around. They aer useful, pretty, and one of the first things to gorw here, in the spring. Next to daisies and violets, they are one of my favourite flowers.

  25. Bob Ewing profile image64
    Bob Ewingposted 13 years ago

    Love them Dandelions are a great plant and should be treasured and grown intentionally rather than assaulted.

    1. watchya profile image60
      watchyaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Agree. I love them !

  26. Shealy Healy profile image60
    Shealy Healyposted 13 years ago

    I wish they were our state flower. Why try so hard to get rid of them and try so hard to grow other non-native flowers? If we all loved them-what a beautiful front yard we could all easily have.

 
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)