This post is part of the Blogging from A to Z in April Challenge. My theme is plants.
Dandelions are very unpopular with gardeners. Children are advised not to pick them lest they wet the bed. Yet when they first appear in spring, these flowers named after lions’ teeth, are bright, cheerful and very intricate. The leaves may be eaten in salads, but are a little bitter for my taste.
I learned from a retired clergyman, no longer with us, that two separate species grow in this area. They may be distinguished by the colour of their roots (red or white, if I remember correctly).
The seeds are designed to be distributed by the wind blowing each tiny parachute and dropping it at a considerable distance from the parent plant.
The photos were taken in May 2015.
I have added a photo of a dicentra or bleeding heart. One of these shade-tolerant plants used to grow in our garden. Whether it was accidentally uprooted, smothered by more vigorous plants or succumbed to frost, I do not know.
This one is growing locally, lovingly tended by a group of volunteers. They have been successful in Village in Bloom contests over the years.
A version of this post was part of the revised A to Z Challenge.
Sue’s Trifles is also an A to Z in April participant with very short posts.
