The sun daisy

One of my most favourite of daisies is the Dandelion. Round, soft, golden yellow, a spit of petals that is in fact a composition of tiny flower heads, which eventually all create their own separate seed head and feathery parachute which forms a delightful round, white, silky pompom. The flower head often faces towards the sun and usually closes as evening approaches keeping the many flowers safe in the darkness. There is wonderful advice in a saying about dandelions ~

• ‘Blow the clocks near fields of crops.’

It has long been known that dandelions are the gold mines of the garden; they help other plants to crop more heavily and if allowed to grow around orchards and berry bushes, the fruits are said to generally ripen more quickly.

Dandelion - Taraxacum officinale

Dandelion clock or seed head

Dandelions have always been used as an extra salad vegetable. Their leaves (the youngest and most tender) make a wonderful addition tossed in a salad. The flower heads are often used in the making of wines and soft drinks. The roots are sometimes roasted and crushed – hot water is then poured on to the root to make a type of coffee. They help to clear the body of extra water but should never be eaten or drunk whilst taking medicines.