Dandelions our Friends

Image via WikipediaDid you know American Colonist brought dandelion seeds with them from across the ocean to plant in their gardens? That little "pest" of a weed that colors your pesticide free front lawn is more our friend than foe. Dandelion flowers and leaves are 100% edible. You can put dandelion greens in your soup, eat them plain or add them to your salad. Some people even make dandelion wine! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRYHvSruEyo&feature=related )
 The roots are sweetest in the fall and can be used in teas (when dried) and or added to coffee. (For a good reference on how to dry them see "The Herbal Epicure ")
These slightly bitter herbs have more Vitamin A than broccoli, chard, collars, spinach and carrots!  James A Duke an ethnobotanist who worked for the US Department of Agriculture has been known to eat a hundred dandelion flowers a day for their beta carotene and ascorbic acid. They are also high in lecithin, which is currently being studied for prevention of cirrhosis and as brain food. ( See "The Green Pharmacy") According to Dr Duke the leaves are high in boron and calcium as well as silicon. Not to mention they are full of complex vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium , potash and zinc.

A few fun recipes for dandelions are:

• cook the bitter leaves with potatoes and onions
• grate the root, mix with dandelion leaves and add to parsnips and potatoes, perhaps with a little horseradish thrown in
• eat the flowers in a salad

So nix the pesticides this year, embrace the dandelions!

Related articles

• Spring Tonics Dandelions Greens Nettles (ddmacc5022.wordpress.com)
• Dandelion Greens (sosopie.wordpress.com)
• Dandelion - Powerful antioxidant or pesky weed (rebootyourself.wordpress.com)
• Dandelion: The Healing Weed (wildflowerbotanicals.wordpress.com)
• Urban Forager | Growing a Salad in Winter (cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com)

Planting Seedlings on a Budget

Last year when planting my seedlings I went to Home Depot and bought myself a plastic greenhouse, it ended up costing me around 20 dollars for the little house and the pellets to go in it. Just so I could grow myself a few seeds. (The whole transplanting thing was a disaster for me last year, my only success's were the seeds I planted directly outside) So this year not knowing how my transplants will do I wanted to spend NO money. I wasn't sure what I was going to do until I saw this post on frugal granola yesterday

Today I decided to put the idea to work. I will show you what I did here and as the weeks go on let you know if and how the seedlings grow! Note the "organic" soil was given to me as a gift from my mom, so I am starting my seedlings at only the cost of the seeds!

What I used:

Egg cartons
Old Newspaper
a straight glass cup
scissors
organic dirt
tray or cookie sheets

Directions:
Here is how I did the egg cartons

 First two egg cartons I planted black eyed susans and sunflower seeds.

 The second two egg cartons I planted Mesculun greens and lettuce

Next I put together nine newspaper seedling holders. I took half a sheet of newspaper, a couple of pages thick. Cut it in half length wise. Then I placed it around a glass as shown.

 Tuck the ends under, pressing into the glass. Then pull it off the glass.

 If you want you can secure with tape. I did not find this necessary.

 Place on tray and fill with dirt.

 Plant seeds!

 I have these sitting on my south side kitchen counter. I am excited for them to start sprouting!!