Friday, January 15, 2016

Photo Essay: Dandelions.



“I was a dandelion puff...Some saw the beauty in me and stooped quietly to admire my innocence. Others saw the potential of what I could do for them, so they uprooted me, seeking to shape me around their needs. They blew at my head, scattering my hair from the roots, changing me to suit them. Yet still others saw me as something that was unworthy and needed to be erased.” 
                                      Nicole Bailey-Williams


 People love flowers for their beauty and fragrance. Flowers can contribute to our better mental and emotional health. This appears to be proved.
Very likely the first thought which comes to your mind when you hear “flowers” is that we’ll speak about roses or orchids.

 And what about dandelions? Many people will say seriously that dandelions are weeds, not flowers.
“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.”  A.A. Milne
Meanwhile dandelions are thought to have evolved about 30 million years ago in Eurasia. They have been used by humans for food and as an herb for much of recorded history. By the way there is a group of flowers which are called “false dandelions”. (read more here).

However dandelions are highly underappreciated nowadays.
It would be more correct to say that dandelions are highly underappreciated… except by children, poets and writers, scientists and philosophers who understand their true value.



Scientists know that the dandelion is one of the most nutritious plants that exist and the entire plant, from the flower to the root is edible. The leaves are richer in beta-carotene than carrots and contain more vitamins than most greens, the flower contains anti-oxidants, and the root works as a blood purifier, clearing the toxins from the body and is a significant aid in liver and colon health (read more here).


Poets know that you needn’t worry if you lost your smile, because the dandelion has it.
“I have lost my smile, but don't worry. The dandelion has it.” Thích Nhất Hạnh
“What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.” Suzanne Collins
“Most of the dandelions had changed from suns into moons.”  Vladimir Nabokov
“Dandelions, like all things in nature are beautiful when you take the time to pay attention to them.”  June Stoyer
“Once an idea is out and about, it can't be called back, silenced or erased. You can't contain it, any more than you could put the head of a dandelion back together after the wind has scattered its seeds.”  P.W. Catanese
“Dandelion wine. The words were summer on the tongue.” Ray Bradbury

“When you look at a field of dandelions, you can either see a hundred weeds or a hundred wishes…” Anonymous

“If you find yourself worrying, go outside, take three breaths, address a tree and quietly say, 'Thank you.' If you can't find a tree, a dandelion will do... Nature is magic.” Robert Bateman

“… the radiant dandelion, shining in the grass, like a spark dropped from the sun.”
Henry Ward Beecher
Philosophers appreciate the firmness of dandelions and compare them with victors in life.
“Why doesn't constant trampling defeat the dandelion? The key to its strength is its long and sturdy root, which extends deep into the earth. The same principle applies to people. The true victors in life are those who, enduring repeated challenges and setbacks, have sent the roots of their being to such a depth that nothing can shake them.” Daisaku Ikeda
The dandelion is a children’s favorite chosen for its beauty and seed blowing fun. 

Dandelion seeds carry kids to worlds of dreams. They like to blow on the puff balls making a wish. 


I called this photo “Gone with the wind…”
And I do appreciate the poetical comment by Dumitru Drinovan: “Gone with the wind, but came back at night...
Little ballerinas after some incredible jumps...
Or tiny cute clouds that first lost weight then become ballerinas, by exercise.”
A wise advice for adults:
“The man who worries morning and night about the dandelions in the lawn will find great relief in loving the dandelions.”
                                                                 Liberty Hyde Bailey

And let “a clever yellow flower that turns into a galaxy of silvery stars” (as A.A. Milne called a dandelion) bring smiles to children's faces :)


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