The Beauty and the Weed

I spent a couple of hours this past week removing weeds from my lawn.  Dandelions.  My husband had dug up a bunch on Friday and yet, Monday morning there they were again in all their yellow glory. I have no idea if dandelions are native to North America only, but with their prolific nature I assume that they may already have conquered the lawns and landscapes of most other continents as well.  However, in case they haven't and in case you are not familiar with this plant, dandelions begin as circular yellow flowers on long stems with leaves that lie close to the ground.  Within a few days they go to seed transforming from yellow flowers to wispy, delicate spheres of lighter-than-air seeds which even the gentlest of breezes or the sneeze of a mouse, or the flutter of a butterfly wing would scatter far and wide and soon this single dandelion will have multiplied fifty-fold.  To win the battle of the dandelion one definitely needs to attack early and often.



Dandelion with a small insect

And yet even this botanical bully possesses beauty.  What mother's heart hasn't melted at being presented with a small fisted bouquet of yellow dandelions?   My grand-daughter, Sadie, watched in delight as we made her a "necklace" from the dandelion stems.

A quick tutorial on dandelion chains: remove the flower. The stem is hollow.  Insert the small end of the stem into the larger hollow end and voila, the first link in your dandelion necklace. Repeat until the chain is long enough for little princesses.

Even at their most dreaded seed stage, the intricate beauty of the dandelion is captivating; a beautiful marriage of function and form, a masterpiece in design.



Dandelions, such intricate beauty.



Dandelion gone to seed

So I guess it comes back to perspective as it so often does.  When I look at life with a negative or critical eye I find weeds, and yet if I can just shift my gaze and look at life through the eyes of beauty I find fresh bouquets of flowers blooming right outside my front door!

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Wishing you a beautiful perspective on today,

Sandra