Last weekend and this, we've been in the garden starting to wage war on the thousands of dandelions that are currently resident in our "lawn" (and I use the term loosely, because I think there is more coverage by dandelions than by grass). Having been away on honeymoon for 3 weeks, the grass hadn't been mowed in over a month, so the dandelion flowers and clocks (seed heads) stand out over and above the greenery. Add to that that it has rained quite well since we got home, and we have a very happy dandelion crop!Naively, we started pulling up dandelions in patches before thinking about the task a bit more logically. Realistically, we probably should have made it our mission to remove all the clocks and flowers, so that the problem isn't perpetuated. We realised this after a while, and started the new task with energy which quickly dwindled with the frustration of trying to remove the clocks without the seeds being dispersed all over the place. BabyCakes had started in the garden well before me, and got frustrated before me. I'd started on the patch of lawn outside our front door, which has clear boundaries, and was about half way through when BabyCakes moved his attentions inside. I was determined to see the patch I'd set out to clear, clear. Thankfully, I stuck it out for the 15 minutes longer that it took, and can happily smile on that patch - now we have to maintain vigilance of beheading the flowers, whilst also finding the time to remove the existing plants!
The wheelie bin looks about 1/3 full after this morning's efforts, and having read the Wikipedia article, and wondering if in the name of being both budget conscious and environmentally responsible, if we should look at eating some of them - they are supposed to be high in iron as well as vitimins A and C, or potentially we could use the flowers to make dandelion wine... Maybe because Australian's seem to have to fight to grow vegetables that the notion of eating something that grows as a weed is hard to get my head around!
The more I read about the options, the more I wonder if I should experiment! The wine making piques my interest, but I would need more equipment than BabyCakes already has, and it takes quite some time to see results by the looks of things - maybe I should think on it some, I don't think I'll be running out of supply any time soon!
Oh, and the title comes from my childhood memories of dandelion clocks being called "Father Christmases", before blowing on them and making a wish.
1 comment:
If you want to use dandelions in something less ambitious than wine here are a few ideas:
Medicinally it is taken internally as a diuretic helping urinary infections and liver/gall bladder issues.
High in Vit A&C, rich in iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium.
The young leaves can be added to salads (a bit bitter if not blanched first) or cooked like spinach. Flowers go into the wine and roasting the root makes a pleasant coffee alternative.
May as well use the little pests :)
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