Public enemy number 1 ?

Entered 2 days later...

Thursday 2nd May. Local council elections.

Between ourselves we have become convinced that dandelions are evil, evasive and unwelcome. We have a strange obsession with a perfect, smooth, greenwash of a lawn. We don't want this one-colour-only, one-type-only sameness interrupted, confused or patterned in any way. They take up too much space, they ruin the uniformity, they interfere with the greenness. Different colours? All together? In one place? How very unBritish.

We watch TV and see adverts and read advice telling us to get rid. Apparently we are now "at war" with our once welcome immigrant. Our neighbours and friends teach us through their actions that we must fight the good fight. We must out the evil, yellow... actually rather fluffy, bright, bee-friendly, quite cute - now you come to mention it, medicinal, harmless ancient plants that we brought into this country as a herbal remedy because we actually wanted them once upon a time.

They are grown as a crop in some countries. Sensible countries where they haven't wound each other up pretending they are harmful.

We've let ourselves get wound up, we've let the media wind us up, we've joined in with the evil alien bashing only because that's what everyone else is doing.

They're not so bad. They have lots to teach us and I for one welcome them.


(Guess who didn't vote for UKIP today?...)


I spent most of the day on my hands on knees in the dirt making salad planters in the garden. Bees and birds popped by to say hello regularly. I felt rather low and sad all day and couldn't even face writing up a blip entry. Sometimes I feel so worthless and pointless that I can't bring myself to write about my dull ineffectual days. The me of 2 days later is a little kinder and wishes I had written it all down for posterity.

Here are some facts about dandelions . Amazing how a bit of education can change your opinions about things. It's much better than relying on received wisdom