Dandelions are more than just a stubborn nuisance in the garden.
Their flowers attract various butterflies and bees.
I finally managed to get one this weekend.
The flowers support so much wildlife.
I once gathered hundreds of flowers to make wine... it was quite a pleasant drink when chilled.
The leaves provide food for a wide range of animals from deer and rabbits to minute insects.
This bee was so determined to get at this flower which had been overrun with brambles.
36 comments:
very cute insects. my father used to make dandelion wine. we kids would go pluck the heads by the bucketful for him.
thanks for your lovely weekend flowers! would be nice, if you link back to my blog, that others can also find us :)
Love the bees here in the shots. Very fuzzy and large. Great color! Filming bees with flowers is one of my favorite things to do during a shoot. Nice work:)
You're so far ahead of us, and we're due for snow tommorrow. Great shots. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
Dandelion wine... never had any, but would try it if I could find it!
Great shots of the insects on the dandelions.
I love them and can't wait to see them here - few more weeks:)
Dandelion wine - oh my goodness you are a busy man and I have to tell you the photos with the dandelions and bugs - amazes me you found all that. sandie
The butterfly is gorgeous!
Never had dandelion wine but I do love dandelion salad!
Yes, you're truly brilliant, I love Dandelions as well.
wonderful captures!!!
Bees and butterflies ... lovely and important to the garden!
Thanks for reminding me the grass needs cutting. Problem is there's a forecast of rain.
Nice pictures.
What beautiful, delightful captures, Andrew! I love the butterflies and bees and I would also love to taste the dandelion wine! I've heard of it, but have never tried it! Marvelous post as always! Thanks for sharing the beauty! Have a great week!
Sylvia
Wow! Fantastic images!
Great post, Andrew Yes, even the dandelions have a purpose. you will find many in my yard.
a lovely series of dandelions Drew, observing nature. I'm wondering quite what dandelion wine might taste. My first and only attempt (light years ago) to make wine, was with rhubarb. I'd put it aside for however days and was stunned to see how it looked when I uncovered it with all the muck on top. Thought it'd 'gone mouldy' and tossed it. Later learnt it was the fermentation...
You did well getting that Orange Tip. Haven't been able to get near to any yet this year.
Beautiful ... I love that busy bumble bee.
Absolutely love the butterfly shot! Great pictures...you take wonderful captures!
oh I had no idea!! They look so pretty in your pictures. Gorgeous butterflies and bugs!!
I love seeing these in the grass growing along the roadside; until the council mow them down.
Lovely flowers.
I used to tell our next door neighbor (when we owned our Oregon house) that I didn't weed our yard very often because the dandelions were so good for the butterflies. If we think of them this way instead of as weeds it's so much better for everyone!
That Orange Tip is a beauty. And I loved your photographic paean to the humble dandelion!
Beautiful shots. Dandelions are a bit of a pest but they are such a jolly colour and the seed heads are so lovely to look at.
A much maligned plant, I must admit that I do a lot of the maligning! I saw on the telly the other day that these flowers, or their seeds are the favourite food of the Twite, one reason to have a lawn full of them!
J
Follow me at HEDGELAND TALES
Great pictures you show.
Want dg a good day.
Hanne Bente / hbt.finus.dk
Oh Drew...those photos are precious. I was born in a little village, and my childhood was by the nature and the "wildlife". I'm still crazy about it! You just brought to me pieces of the past...so far away...but so dear to me.Thank you!
Isabel/BShell
beautiful images!
Hi - nice pictures - weed? I don’t think so.
I can’t help myself here - was the wine nice when it was chilled, or was it nice when you were chilled?
(Sorry!)
Stewart M - Australia
You caught a nice variety of insects. I've never noticed any on our dandelions. Most people do their best to kill them off.
hard to pick a favorite, i like them all, but the butterfly one reall grabs me. you found so many different bees, i like dandelions to.
Great post Andrew, it's an interesting life being a lowly Dandelion!...[;o)
Great captures! It seems those dandelions are irresistible! :-)
Very interesting pollinators!
Great shots Andrew! I love the close ups of the flowers.
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