Our yard is a mess right now. The weather doesn’t help, it’s cloudy and cold. It had rained all night long, dirt had been washed on the walkways. Everything has turned green already and lots of it are weeds. Every year I pull them all and every year they come back -all of it. It’s a race or a competition, and I am not so sure if I will ever win.
Once in a golden hour
I cast to earth a seed.
Up there came a flower,
The people said, a weed.
To and fro they went
Thro’ my garden bower,
And muttering discontent
Cursed me and my flower.
Then it grew so tall
It wore a crown of light,
But thieves from o’er the wall
Stole the seed by night.
Sow’d it far and wide
By every town and tower,
Till all the people cried,
‘Splendid is the flower! ‘
Read my little fable:
He that runs may read.
Most can raise the flowers now,
For all have got the seed.
And some are pretty enough,
And some are poor indeed;
And now again the people
Call it but a weed.
The Flower by Alfred Lord Tennyson
In the little bit of gardening I have done in my life, I have found it difficult to determine between the flower and the weed and thus often found myself pulling up the flower and leaving the sometimes prettier weed behind. Shows why I will never become a gardener!
According to my Grandmother there is an iron rule. Large leaves and small flowers, it’s a weed.
Love the poem and photos. I live in a constant standoff with the dandelions in our garden.
I love dandelions. My yard is full of them. And I’m so glad I live in a rural area where there’s no one to tell me I need to “do something” about them. I can have a beautiful yard of green and gold — until my nutty tenant mows the lawn anyway. But they are the best thing for the bees this early in the season.
I like them as well, but it’s like Joanne said. The flowers are alright, just not the rest of the plant.
If you say so. ^_^
It’s a shame that the dandelion plant itself is rather ugly, because the flower is beautifully sunny and bright. A field full of dandelions lit by the sun looks stunning.
… but then there is just the ugly plant left behind … and today I’ve already pulled out a few. Rather early for us, I think.
That second photo is gorgeous, Bridget. I’m assuming it’s one of your creations?
Oh, thank you so much. Yes, I took the pictures. I have homework to do. Make something “ugly” look beautiful and turns out, it’s not as easy as I thought it could be. Our next photography meeting is in May and I am not even half done.
I’m in awe that you are taking a photography class with other people. I’m still doing my learning online because I’m too intimidated to join others yet!
It’s a photography meetup group. I went there and they gave me homework, to see if I have an “eye” for photography or not. I assume they want to make sure that they don’t waste their time and I don’t blame them.
I’m confident you do have an eye for photography. Why wouldn’t you? Your job is about colour and texture, so is photography 🙂
A war, well said.. I am a lone soldier pulling out the enemy one at a time. I shall never surrender!
Haha, well said as well.
Dandelions are beautiful. Simple in shape and yet complex in structure…..a bit like us when I think about it.
That’s a wonderful comparison.
Dandelions are amazing. Edible, cheerful and spread like the dickens in places you don’t want them. I saw a message from a friend this year that says that dandelions are the first source of sustenance to the honeybee awakening from hibernation, and so now I leave them alone and let them spread. We need more bees, even if we don’t need more weeds…
I forgot about the edible part. I remember the salad. And now, after reading about the bees I feel sorry that I pulled the dandelions out.
Happy Spring! Thanks for sharing… 🙂
Happy Spring, Bette