Sunny Bad Boy

Dandelions are by far the most controversial weed on the planet. To some they are a plant from the gods for their nutritional value while for others they are the bane of their existence. Did you know that dandelions rank as number 2 on the list for North America's top 10 noxious weeds! Despite that notorious title, my affection for them centers around their redeeming qualities of:

tender young leaves for salad greens, flowers for wine, roots for flavoring herbal vinegar, roasted roots for a coffee substitute, and other uses. Many reported feeding dandelions to their rabbits, chickens, ducks and geese, or letting them flower to serve as food for bees and other beneficial insects. Read entire article here Mother Earth News

I wasn't surprised to read about dandelions being a tough weed to deal with but I was shocked to see that it placed so high. You know you have reached celebrity "bad-boy" plant status when gardening enthusiasts create a specific tool to eradicate you called the dandelion puller/weeders; I kid you not.

The Root of it All

So what makes these representatives of sunshine with their fresh yellow faces so noxious? Sadly it's not what's on the surface that earns that reputation, it's the root. Much like the iceberg, the true danger lies beneath the surface. Despite how small the plant on the lawn may be, the root can grow to almost a foot in length. The frustration lies in trying to eradicate the little lovelies because all efforts are futile unless the root is completely removed.

Weed Time

In yesterday's post we talked about instinct being the basis for the scorpion's demise. One of the greatest advantages of being a human being is the elevation from being instinct driven to being driven by emotions and thoughts. Now that I have said that I may have to recant the word greatest for humans are a mess. The harmony that works within the ecosystems does not exist in our human realm. My hypothesis is that what has elevated us has also crippled us. Our inability to process our emotions and thoughts in a positive way have produced weeds in the garden of our mind. Those weeds taint the beauty of the garden and if unattended can choke out the other plants. The good news is that there aren't as many weeds as you may think and it may surprise you to find out that there are only four main strands of weeds. Despite how overgrown the garden in your mind may appear it will become easier to weed once the four types of weeds are identified. How did the weeds begin? That may surprise you for it goes back further than you can imagine.

Who is the Common Guru? Here is our introductory article
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Pictures courtesy of Pixaby