Dandylion Pride

We have dandylions! Why, you might wonder, am I proud to proclaim this fact? It's because dandylions and other spontaneous flowers show that we choose chemical-free gardening.

Our lawns—and all the wonderful things that grown in and around them—are safe for people, birds, dogs and other animals to enjoy.

Some of the vegetation is for people to eat (asparagus, rhubarb, berries, herbs, pansies); the rest is for birds, butterflies, bunnies and other wildlife to eat or nest in. Pesticide-free lawns are also great spots to catch a nap in the shade, to sunbathe, or to challenge your travel mates to a game of bocce ball or croquet.

Plus, flowers in the grass are pretty! Right now we have waves of tiny purple flowers, cheery yellow buttercups, and white strawberry blossoms which may even develop into berries! Later we'll get fiery orange-and-red flowers (my neighbour calls them devil's paintbrush, but I don't know their proper name) and ornamental jewelweed in every shade of magenta.


The naturalized lawns are also much more drought resistant. They're made up of different grasses and other green groundcover, such as clover. When freshly mowed, it makes for a smooth sea of green, and who cares if it's not all from uniform blades of grass.

Then the lawn flowers (I don't like the term weeds!) grow back and, at least until the next mowing, we're treated to delightful splashes of colour again. Now that's something to roar about!