INSPIRATIONS - dandelions

A little bit about dandelions:

The name dandelion comes from the French, dent-de-lion - “lion’s tooth”. This name refers to the sharp lobes of the leaves, rather than the spiky yellow petals of the flower.

Dandelions are from the plant family Asteraceae. This family name is derived from the genus Aster and refers to the star-shaped flower heads. Other members of this family include daisy, lettuce, chicory, globe artichoke, safflower, chrysanthemums, ragwort, and sunflower.

The bright yellow flower head opens in the daytime but closes at night.

Dandelions have been well known for their nutritional and medicinal qualities for centuries. They can be consumed as a leafy vegetable, whether cooked or raw (such as in salads or soup), and dandelion flower heads can be used to make wine and jam. Medicinally, dandelion has been used and still is used, for a variety of treatments.

Dandelions are often perceived as a weed: their leaves spread outwards, pressing down the surrounding vegetation, killing it by cutting off the sunlight. Its ability to grow back from just a little of a tap root means that it is tricky to get rid of if unwanted.

Picking Wildflowers:

According to Dominic Price of wild plant protection charity Plantlife,

“it is not normally an offence to pick the ‘Four Fs’ – fruit, foliage, fungi or flowers – if the plants are growing wild and it is for your personal use and not for sale.”

Dozens of rare or endangered plants – from the lady’s slipper orchid and adder’s tongue, to threadmoss and sandwort – are, however, protected under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act.

It is illegal to uproot any wild plant. Cultivated flowers growing in council parks, roundabouts or verges are legally off-limits. The same goes for any gardens planted by a particular organisation (ie community gardens), and nature reserves or protected land.

Collecting dandelions:

(see our foraging tips for more indepth info on collecting wild plants)

With the abundance of dandelions and the perception of the plant as a weed, dandelion season is almost a unique opportunity to collect a wonderful vibrant-coloured flower without upsetting anyone or, more importantly committing a crime.

Environmental impact - If every school, nursery and parent went out collecting dandelions, there would not be many left for the insects. This is not going to happen, even though the problem would be a nice one to have: ‘ Headline – Too many kids outdoors interacting with nature!’ That being said, it is very important to collect considerately, picking a few from areas with abundance and making sure you do not clear areas. When we collected ours, we wandered across a field filled with dandelions collecting a few here and a few there. The main aspect to consider is whose land you are on and whether the owner would be upset by you collecting dandelions. The easiest way, if you have concerns, would be to ask for permission from the land owner.

Dandelion Art & Music!

Simple Mark Making

Pick a dandelion head and draw - so simple!

Dandelion Clock Art

Cut down the end of a toilet roll tube and fan out (as pictured) dip into some white paint and experiment with creating dandelion clocks! Great fun little painting activity!

Dandelion Trumpet

Tim Graham from Snapdragons Nursery demonstrates the dandelion trumpet. Guess the tune!!

If you want to have a try, here are his top tips:

"Take a few inch section from the lower half of the stem. Split one end into two (if it splits into three it won’t work) and put that end into your mouth. As you blow you want to make sure that the split doesn’t stick together so putting the split in vertically and applying a small amount of pressure with your lips can help to keep the tube round and let the split ends vibrate.
And sometimes it just doesn’t work!"

It certainly is a challenge, but so worth it when you get it! - Good luck....

Fantasy Wire dandelion sculptures:

Fantasy Wire love dandelions – they have a whole section of their website dedicated to them. These stainless wire sculptures make the perfect statement piece for the bottom of any garden.

The sculptures are inspired by an inexplicable real life encounter. In 2010 while mending a fence, the founder of Fantasy Wire twisted some old wire together to throw away and thought, “I bet you could use fence wire to make a sculpture.” The first attempt was a fairy for the bottom of the garden. They are still making wire fairies today, but what started as a hobby has grown into a family business.

As well as the fairy sculptures, they also make 2-5m tall, standalone dandelions. If you fancy having a go yourself, they also sell DIY starter kits that teach you how it’s done.

Picking:

The simplest way to gather those gorgeous yellow blooms is to put a finger either side of the stem, beneath the flower, and pull up - watch our wee video to master this technique.

Poem - The Dandelion:

by Janet L. Niehaus

I picked a faded dandelion
And blew it in the air
It’s tiny little parachutes
Went floating everywhere. They caught the wind
And danced awhile
Bending to and fro
In splendid ballerina style. Finally as the wind grew still
They floated back to earth
And bedded in the dark warm soil
To start their new rebirth. When next summer comes
And dandelions are everywhere
I’ll pick another faded flower
And blow it in the air.

How do they taste?

Having read that young leaves from plants that haven’t bloomed are the most palatable, I carefully picked some and we gave it a go. It was a resounding ‘thumbs down’ on taste but a big ‘thumbs up’ for giving it a try.Raw leaves can have a bitter taste. Dandelion leaves can be eaten cooked or raw in various forms, such as in soup or salad. The young leaves are eaten raw in salads, while older leaves are cooked, often boiled twice to extract the bitterness.

dandelion jam

For best taste results, pick the flowers in the sunshine when they are fully open. Celebrate the approach of summer with some lovely dandelion recipes such as dandelion jam or fritters.

We recommend…

After my son’s dandelion exploration, I made a big effort to find some dandelion-inspired books and resources. There wasn’t much about at all but I did manage to find this delightful book.

The Dandelion Seed

‘The humble dandelion. By roadside or mountainside, it flowers every month of the year throughout the world, a fitting symbol of life. Its journey is our journey, filled with challenge, wonder and beauty. Its story is a mystery too great to fathom.’

Take it further

How about a stop motion animation incorporating dandelions?

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