Weed or Flower?

It is the month of May. Therefore, it is the month of dandelions.

Looking back a decade or two, I recall most of my neighbours going to great lengths every spring to get rid of the dandelions on their lawns. And it seemed no matter how hard they tried, they could never quite get them all. Those dandelions are hardy little suckers, after all.

Looking back a little farther, I remember my mother spending entire afternoons digging lupins out of our ditch. Personally, I thought the ditch looked better with the lupins, but apparently they are an invasive species and tend to take over wherever they grow, to the detriment of other plants. At least in New Brunswick.

Then I went to another province for university. At some point, (I can’t remember exactly when, or exactly who) someone mentioned something about ‘prizewinning lupins’. And I was like, “Lupins? You mean the ditch flower? People grow those on purpose?” Another NB-born friend of mine was equally baffled.

I guess it’s a matter of perspective.

Fast forward to the present day. I’m not sure what the prevailing attitude is toward lupins, but now it seems people are practically worshiping their dandelions. I have many neighbours who have gone to the extreme of taking part in “No Mow May”, allowing whatever weeds or flowers are growing on their lawn to flourish for the sake of the hungry bees in spring.

I never put any effort into getting rid of dandelions. In fact, I’ve always liked these bright yellow flowers that appear every spring. They are a sign that the warm weather of summer is just around the corner. Seeing them puts me in a good mood, and I’ve never been one to cultivate the perfect lawn anyway. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say, my definition of a perfect lawn isn’t one with pristine grass and nothing else.

But I don’t go so far as to not mow my lawn for the entire month. I could say it’s because I care about the bees, but that would be a lie. My biggest issue with an unmowed lawn is that the jungle of weeds and tall grass is not only loved by bees, but also by ticks. I am not in favour of making my lawn a more hospitable environment for ticks. And really, the dandelions pop back up about eight hours after the lawn is mowed. The bees will still have their tasty dandelion nectar.

It does all make me wonder, though. If dandelions were a little less hardy, would people put effort into growing them instead of eradicating them?

Enjoy the prizewinning dandelions.