Golden wonders
Dandelions stir strong emotions. The poet John Clare was moved to celebrate their beauty in verse: “Shining like guineas with the sun’s warm eye on We almost think they are gold as we pass Or fallen stars in a green sea of grass.”
They can also provoke apoplexy among gardeners who strive to maintain a perfect lawn. I know of one who, outraged by dandelion seeds wafting over his hedge, used a flame-gun weeder to incinerate his absent neighbour’s offending weeds. But most of us do admire dandelions for their beauty, even if they are sometimes a little unruly. A pasture turning gold under a blanket of their flowers is a joy to behold, one of the great natural floral spectacles of late spring. A road verge fringed
