The other day my doorbell rang.
When I answered the door, I saw a gentleman standing on my porch. He seemed eager to greet me.
“Hello, sir, I am a representative from TruGreen lawn care services.”
“Ok,” I replied, gesturing for him to begin his well-rehearsed sales pitch on the latest fertilizers and lawn chemicals.
“I see that you have a serious weed problem in your lawn”, he remarked.
“Oh, those aren’t weeds, they’re dandelions, and I think they’re beautiful,” I told him. “Just look at how yellow and pretty they are.”
“Are you serious?” he asked me.
“Yeah, I’m serious. And if I could plant more in my yard I would.”
Not knowing what to make of my comments, the salesman, who had initially approached me with much confidence in his arsenal of anti-weed products, now seemed perplexed.
And just as quickly as he appeared on my porch, he wished me a good day, turned around, and walked away.
Beyond the Mesas 
Dandelions get such a bad rap…
I agree, dadrea!
I love dandelions. I love seeing fields of them and I make medicine from them and sometimes wine.
Thanks, susquehannarambler2! One of my hobbies is home brewing, and there is a Dandelion Ale recipe that I’m determined to try. Haven’t yet had dandelion wine!
Dandelions are good for your lawn. Their wide-spreading roots loosen hard-packed soil, aerate the earth and help reduce erosion. The deep taproot pulls nutrients such as calcium from deep in the soil and makes them available to other plants. Dandelions actually fertilize the grass.
Thanks for your comment, walktx. I did not know that dandelions were so good for the grass! Also, I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog http://walktx.wordpress.com/
A herbalogist friend of mine makes dandelion fritters. But so many people seem absolutely terrified of dandelions, as if they will take over the world unless they are immediately exterminated. I prefer your approach.
Thanks, leifhendrik! Wow, dandelion fritters sound awesome! I agree, a lot of people seem terrified and absolutely annoyed by them.
My grandpa cooked dandelions for us when he used to live with us down in the valley. He took off the flower part, boiled them down (which seemed to take a little while), strained them and added them to fried bacon and onions. They were good. Reminded me of spinach. Enjoy!
I’m gonna try it, Roma! Thanks for commenting on my post.