Saturday 3 May 2014

Fine And Dandy!

I know they are considered a weed- but I love dandelions. I love their sunny golden colour against the green of the lawn, I still enjoy ‘telling the time’ by blowing away the seeds on the dandelion clock, just like I used to as a little girl years and years ago.

IMG_1913dandelion clock

IMG_1915When we returned from Cornerstones, the back lawn at the Manse was sprinkled with little yellow spots of sunshine.

We have such an abundant crop – perhaps I ought to be super-frugal and pick the tiny green leaves to add to salads, as Alys Fowler suggests – but I suspect Bob might demur. And they are a diuretic after all [the French name is pissenlit!]

luciennedayThese flowers have inspired artists and designers for years – Lucienne Day’s Dandelion Clocks appeared in the fifties – and is still in production [on linen, at £75 a metre I do not own even a scrap]

Just lately I seem to have been surrounded by Dandelion-type Prints

My SIL Denise gave me a Sanderson Dandelion print teatowel – and then my birthday Kindle from Liz had a similar design on the case [although this is described as ‘cornflower’]

sanderson teatowel

IMG_1919

IMG_1920

The library book I borrowed yesterday has a pattern for a sketchbook cover, and it’s made from two co-ordinating dandelion prints. They are everywhere! Then I also spotted this cool apron on the internet

apron 2

It is described as an ‘elderberry apron’ but nevertheless it reminded me of all the other prints I had been looking at.

I think these stylised flowerheads are all so pretty – maybe I ought to add ‘embroider some dandelions’ to my Project 52 list!

Are you fond of dandelions – or do you regard them as weeds to be eradicated?

13 comments:

  1. Sorry, Ang, they are weeds when they come into my garden! But I always remember blowing the 'clocks' into the air when I was a child.

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  2. Have you heard about dandelion Coffee? You can make a drink from their roots that is supposed to taste similar to coffee x x x

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    1. I tasted it once. That was once enough!!

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  3. I love them..we call them 'John Deere' flowers.They make excellent wine!
    Jane x

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  4. Friends of mine make dandelion jam (here's a link to a recipe http://foodinjars.com/2013/05/giveaway-cooking-with-flowers-dandelion-jam-recipe/) which is quite pleasant - a little runny, and with a taste a bit like honey. In fact I have used it in place of honey in various recipes.

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    1. Just as I thought how lovely this jam looked, I realised Bob has just cut the grass and mown them all down! No doubt they will be back again soon.

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  5. I've even seen a recipe somewhere this week for deep fried dandelion flowers and I can't remember where it was. We have a similar crop on the front lawn but I am about to cut it, so they will probably get the chop as well!

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  6. I'm not so keen Angela, however Daisy the dog regards them as a delicacy and is enjoying biting the heads off the plentiful supply on our lawn!!

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  7. I dislike digging them up from the garden, they're really tough!x

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  8. I use dandelion leaves in salads and to add to my veggie juices :)

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  9. I like dandelions, and I'm like a little kid when I come across dandelions that have gone to seed. I've never heard of dandelion clocks. When we were little, if you blew off all the seeds, you got your wish. I'm sure the lawn keepers of the neighborhood weren't happy about this little custom!

    xofrances

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  10. Not so keen on them in the garden, but at the moment there's a road verge on my way to work that is full of dandelion clocks and it looks sooo beautiful.

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  11. I have stitched two dandelion clocks in cross stitch. One went as a gift but the other is on my wall. With a flat battery it is not an accurate timepiece!

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