Art Drop #25: Reframe the Dandelion
Make a wish upon a weed.
I have a lot of questions today, mainly for myself, but maybe for you too?
When did the sight of a dandelion bloom go from being the fluff that childhood dreams are made of to the scourge of the lawn? When did we stop painting our cheeks with these yellow flowers?
When did we stop delighting at the pure joy of launching the seeds into the air, caring not where they landed, only loving that we were the ones with the power to send them forth?
When did we stop eating the weeds that feed us only to buy a bunch of organic kale at the grocery store for $4.99? Did we lose that knowledge? Did we lose the curiosity of reviving that knowledge? Or is it just easier not to forage for the greens and spend the time washing off the dirt and blanching them… I get it, who has the time?
Well, I definitely did not but I took the time anyway. Mainly I just wanted to spend less on groceries and get more nutritious food onto our plates, and I wanted to explore what the meadow could provide for us beyond a source of photographic fodder and space to play backyard naturalists. Could it feed us too?
We are not the only ones eating the dandelion buffet in the meadow, of course. Did you know goldfinches love to eat dandelion seeds? American goldfinches, the males at least, are impossibly yellow. You might argue the only thing more yellow than a goldfinch would be the yellow of a dandelion in flower. I love that the two are connected. The goldfinches will land on a seed head, weighing it down with their 13 grams. The stem nods in acquiescence as its seed head is picked clean. The goldfinches seem to enjoy this harvest even more if the seed heads are soaked with rain, less fluff to get in the way.
Noticing that our land is absolutely rife with dandelions this spring, I would sheepishly, almost apologetically go out and pick flowers for fritters, and leaves and buds for sautéed greens, thinking at least I was doing something to mitigate their spread. My internal monologue when surveying our lawn was “What must the neighbors think?” But then I looked around and noticed that our neighbors’ lawns are also full of dandelions. Soon thereafter I noticed the goldfinches enjoying the seeds, and then I decided to just chill out about it and enjoy the dandelions existing. In that place of acceptance and ease, another question naturally followed – could I make art out of them?
Art Drop #25
Weeds, food, wildflowers, medicine, bird food, wishes waiting to be launched in the air, cordage waiting to be woven, it’s all here in the palm of my hand, the latest Hand Bouquet in my ongoing series and the first one to be created in the pouring rain.
Meadow Hand Bouquet, Spring Dandelions
West Stockbridge, MA, USA
by Diana Pappas
Prints of this photograph are only available through June 7, 2025 with no further production of this work for at least a year. To learn more, order a print, or request a larger size click the button below to visit the art drop page on our website.
Thanks for reading! Now go forth and launch some dandelion seeds…
Diana
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They are a staple of our diet for sure and I find them quite beautiful in all their forms. I’ve often thought about the context of a field filled with flowers and how one flower might be seen as valuable and another as an invader. People come up with the strangest ways to react out of fear and insecurity towards things that don't fit their view.
Gorgeous photo. Great addition to your series.
Lovely addition to your ‘hand bouquet’ series. For our low-key wedding I remember suggesting a big bunch of dandelions! I wasn’t much interested in choosing fancy flowers. However, my mother spoke to the village florist and between them they decided on a bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums - close but not close.