Dandy Dandelions

Most people who take pride in their lawns would cringe at all these dandelions. Mow them down! Try to dig them out! If all else fails, grab the chemicals!  

I do take pride in my lawn, but a bit differently. I was thrilled at the sight of all these lovely yellow 'flowers'. I won't deny that they can be a huge problem, and that there must be a balance between lawn and dandelions, but they are also very useful as food, beverage, medicinal plants and dye stuff.

I think that dandelions are charming. I don't encourage them, but I don't bring out the heavy artillery either. I found many lovely yellow flowers in my yard this morning, I needed to mow the lawn as well. I decided to gather and use the flowers that were there. I took a bag and went out and picked the tops off every flower. I even got help from the little girl next door who, at three years old, thought it was wonderful fun. After I had picked all I wanted I mowed the rest down to keep them from going to seed. I have no doubt that I will have many more through out the summer!

 I decided that I would try to make a dye bath with just the flowers and see what color I get from them.  I placed them in a large container and added enough water to generously cover the flowers. I added a couple tablespoons of sea salt as well. I left this in the sun to steep, like sun tea. I will be gone again for a few days, so I will have to wait to see how it turns out!

Dandelions have many other uses besides dyeing wool. They are easy to identify and relatively easy to find. They seem to grow almost anywhere. They are easy to harvest and all parts of the plant can be used. For this dye experiment I chose to use just the flowers, although, all parts of the plant can be used. Dandelions have a long tap root. This can be washed, cut into small pieces and boiled to extract the color. You can also choose to dye with the flowers and leaves. Each will result in a slightly different color.

Besides being useful for dyeing, dandelions contain such things as Vitamins A, B, C, and D. They also contain iron, potassium, calcium, insulin, sesquiterpenes and carotenoids. Dandelion root can be used as a liver tonic, with stimulant and decongesting effects on the liver. Dandelion roots also stimulate digestion and aid in the production of bile, thus helping to break down cholesterol and fats.

Dandelions can be used to make a coffee substitute, tea, wine, or sauté the flowers gently in butter for a crunchy addition to salads. The leaves are delicious in salads as well.

It will be a little while until I get the wool dyed, but stay tuned...it is coming! In the mean time, I hope you can find ways to use and enjoy a few dandelions. Especially as it is impossible to get rid of them!