These dandelion ‘clocks’ are putting on their own firework display. If I had my gardener’s head on, the sight of so much imminent seed shedding would cause me much frustration. Fury even. I have spent hours, days and weeks of my life trying to keep my allotment plots and paths free of them. I have even tried seeing their good side: cropping them for their young salad leaves, making dandelion tea, roasting their roots to make coffee (very good for the liver). I also know their long tap roots release nutrients locked deep in the soil. And sometimes a field full of dandelions can look, well, beautiful.
Which brings me to the image above. I clearly had my photographer’s head on when I snapped it, and with the camera in dynamic monochrome setting. And then I edited it a little, and so emerged these magical structures. And there we have the top and bottom of it. Once we stop fighting the natural world, we can see how very wonderful it is. Or at least some of us can. This does not appear to apply to the corporate strains of our species.
copyright 2018 Tish Farrell
Tish Farrell 
Absolutely gorgeous! I love the pattern and texture.
A stunning image, which immediately made me think of blissful days sitting in meadows blowing on dandelions to see the time. Thank you, Janet 🙂
Fun times remembered indeed, Janet 🙂
Won’t be long before they are back! Sometimes I think we should stop fighting nature and just embrace it – dandelion warts and all 😀
I’ve already seen some in full flowering mode. I’m trying to smile at them 🙂
Absolutely marvelous. Can’t understand why you would fight them. I have always been drawn to them with great affection, but never got near as good a picture. This is a masterpiece from my point of view.
You very nice man! What a lovely thing to say. I shall try not fight them. In fact I wondered if I could negotiate terms and let them have a designated plot of their own, provided they stay in it of course 🙂
They won’t!
Just magical Tish. Jack would love to have some in our garden. He is keeping an eye open for some seeds. Not too sure if I fully agree though, Jack says it will only be a weed if it is not wanted,!!!
Well Jack has a point – a plant is only a weed if it’s in the wrong place – or so some do say. And from a herbalist’s viewpoint they are amazingly healthful plants. And they do have jolly faces, but once with you it seems they will grow in anything just short of concrete.
They don’t seem to grow around here, maybe they don’t like our climate
maybe they don’t care to be too hot. I saw some flowering today at the allotment and there were chunks of ice on the tops of the water butts and the climate was distinctly bleak.
Brrrrr I’m shivering just thinking about that cold. We are now mid 30’s and humid and predicted to get hotter.
Well said, Tish!
Thank you, Sue.
Very nice. Some “weeds” are better than others.
That is too true!
HI TISH, IT LOOKS A BLACK & WHITE SHOT OF THE FIREWORKS OVER BUCKINGHAM PALACE DURING ONE OF QEII”S JUBILEE’S !! GREAT SHOT!!! 🙂
Hello Mitch. I hope you are keeping up the good recovery program. Thanks for that image of royal fireworks 🙂
Your dandelions look indeed like a fire works display in the amazing monochrome photo, Tish.
Thank you, Peter.
Looks great in B&W, Tish.
janet
Such a wonderful idea for patterns. 😀
Glad you like it, Cee.
That is certainly a magical shot – simply beautiful. And they are – until you need to dig them up from reluctant ground. A weed is a plant growing somewhere you don’t want it to grow – so ‘weeds’ can be embraced in the ‘right’ place. Everything is relative. “The corporate strains of our species” – wonderful!!
Thanks, Mike.
So sweetly enticing, and works well in the monochrome with the soft contrast.
Thank you, Sally.
Flower fireworks, so stunning, and a first for me! 😀
Many thanks 🙂
So right you are Tish, and how wonderful your photo shows how multifaceted the dandelion really is, one of my all time favourite plants.
I was astonished when I started editing the photo just how much detail there is, and also parts which seem to radiate their own pinpoints of light.
It is so very beautiful Tish and amazing what editing can bring. You are an inspiration!
Thank you for that very lovely comment. Made my day 🙂
I never know which box of tricks in your repertoire you’re going to open up next when I come here, Tish. This is a vision. 🙂 🙂
It’s interesting you should say that, Jo. I never know what I’m going to come up with either. Thank you, my dear, for your appreciative words 🙂
Beautiful. I love how you approached these dandelions from two different perspectives and found not only things to love about them from the photographer’s eye but also things to love about them as a human.
That is a very nice comment. Thank you 🙂
🙂 this is a magical shot Tish. You have elevated dandelions to fine art here.
I feel they deserve some good press (sometimes)
That is a stunning shot! You certainly had your photographer’s head on.
Thank you, Helen.
A beautiful image of the clocks at midnight and I love their noon sunshine as well 🙂
Thank you, Gilly 🙂
Cracking photograph. Would look good on a large canvass on a larger wall!
Outstandingly beautiful, what a good job you did on this one, Tish. Very moving words indeed.
And isn’t just wonderful to see someone make a wish and blow the dandelion.
Many thanks Dina. And yes – nothing like that moment of seeing someone blow on a dandelion. I can see Selma and Siri doing just that 🙂
In German the dandelion is called Pusteblume (Blowflower) , the children love it – and of course Siri and Selma too 😉
Pusteblume is a brilliant name.
Sometimes I just don’t understand WordPress; your blog appears and it says I don’t follow you (but I do!) so that’s why I hit the follow button again. Sorry about that.
I don’t understand WP either, Dina. I’m very glad you re-pressed 🙂
🙂
Great photo!
Thank you.