Dandelion

What is it about the humble dandelion that inspires us?

Is it's beauty in it's simplicity.....

 or complexity?

Dandelions inspire artists.....

by 'William John Hennessy'

Dandelions inspire textile artists....

by 'Patty Young'

by 'Saffron Craig'

Dandelion is used in cookery, herbalism, and tisanes.  All parts of the plant can be used, the flowers, leaves and roots.

If you want to harvest dandelion, a good tip to tell it from other similar looking weeds, is to look

for leaves that are jaggedy.  I remember when mum and dad wouldn't mow the lawn  {grassy weeds} for ages, because they used to harvest the leaves, and put them into salads.  Being Italian, they never minded bitter greens, and were adamant it helped their arthritis.  

Our family call dandelions, 'whoowhoos'....cause when the kids are little they can't run out and look for something they couldn't say, so I taught them to say 'whooswhoos'...kindof the sound you make when you blow the seeds away.