Surveying the Dandelion Patch that is our Back Lawn

Surveying our new back yard--which is bare in some places and full of thriving dandelions in others--is a little disconcerting. I will miss our previous yard—we had almost 10,000 square feet of land, with a variety of trees, and a regular group of visitors, including a woodpecker, red-winged blackbirds, and a pair of mourning doves. Our current backyard is a typical suburban 6,000 square feet, with similar yards just like it behind us and on either side; city bylaw requires that at least one tree be planted in the front yard, but sadly, most of the backyards around us (including our own, for now) have few—if any—trees or natural landscape features.

I have been planning several garden beds, and hope to have recuperated some of the yard by next year, when we plan to take down and move some of the deck the previous owners put up—they had not wanted the hassle of seeding the lawn, mowing, and weeding. I feel somewhat the same way: I am not a great fan of perfectly manicured lawns, although I respect the people who put in the effort to pull them off. I hadn’t minded that most of the back lawn at our last place had been taken over by wild strawberry, plantain, and clover. However, if we are going to reduce the amount of lawn in the backyard, then I want to replace it with flower beds, a vegetable garden, and a naturalized area, with some shade and perhaps a bench or small outdoor statue or play structure.

What is clear is that we have more than our share of dandelions. Although I go after them with a special root-ousting tool that we purchased (that can be worked very efficiently while standing up--I believe it goes by the name of Weed Hound) I do feel somewhat guilty about getting rid of so many of the plants. Having heard from friends that the greens can be used in salads, and that they have medicinal value, I thought I would do a bit of reading about the weeds that are so prolific, and that so many people—like our neighbour Bruno, across the way--go after, with such ardour.

It turns out that dandelion greens are in fact packed full of vitamins and minerals--they contain, among other things, a great deal of vitamin A, iron, and vitamin C. It is the roots, with their white milky fluid, that have traditionally been used by herbalists for their diuretic effects as well as to help treat problems of the liver.

In the next few weeks I will be looking into the history and uses of the plant. I also plan on looking into several of the best ways to rid the yard of dandelions, without the use of pesticides.