loving on dandelions

i believe that many people think of dandelions as a symbol of summer. they conjure images of summer afternoons as kids making dandelion chains to wear in our hair and around our necks. or the opposite–hot afternoons pulling dandelions from the grass because your parents told you that you had to. either way, dandelions get associated with summer. but the fact is, they are among the very first flowers to bloom in the spring. and, as a result, they are a crucial source of both pollen and nectar for bees, who are desperate for food after shivering through a long winter. so, please don’t pull the dandelions. our pollinators need them. and we need the pollinators.

dandelion flower gone to seed (Taraxacum)