Ideal Bite

sometimes its all in how you look at it. dandelions are good greens for eating-or in green drinks. & the roasted root makes a delicious healthy substitute for coffee. re 'saving the planet-and the people'..would hope that those 10,000 Biters with 1/4 acre lawns soon come to realize that doing away with herbicides is a good step in the right direction- but that for what it costs to maintain that 1/4 acre of lawn a hungry family somewhere on this planet of ours could be maintained. rick

You know, another perspective on this, from a girl who lives in the city of Toronto,Ontario,Canada is this. Dandelions are really good for you. They are considered one of the best liver/gall bladder tonics available. People actually go to health food stores and buy dandelion tonics to cleanse! Weed? I think not....Living la vida fearless, Jan

Thanks for a great edition on weeds, though like others here I cherish my tasty dandelions! My Dad taught me this really cool tip for getting rid of weeds that come up through cracks in the sidewalk or driveway. I used to try to pull them, but they always just broke off, leaving the root and came back in about two days. Now I just boil a big pot of water and dump it on the weeds coming up through the concrete. Completely non-toxic and highly effective.

Dandelion leaf tea is an excellent diuretic and it doesn't deplete your body of potassium the way over the counter or prescription drugs do.People should look up dandelion on the internet and read about all the good benefits they can provide.Definitely not a weed.Pat

In addition to the fabric tip, you can also recycle old newspaper that way. Keep out the colored inks, but lay it down, soak it with full strength vinegar, and cover it with mulch or stones. Works really well.

Here is a thought: if the weeds bug you that much, go outside and pull them. Nothing is being produced for consumption and killing (even though your suggestions might be non-toxic, it still requires production, packaging, etc.), and you actually get exercise and fresh air! Sometimes I am baffled by Ideal Bite's suggestions, which seem to push people in the direction of buying more and in this instance, being lazy. One more suggestion for those who really can't fathom doing actual yard work: ask around the neighborhood, chances are some kid might be looking to earn a few bucks. Or perhaps you could even exchange food or money with a homeless person for work. I know I always see people around my town holding signs asking for work, food or money. The options are endless if you take the time to think outside of consumption.

One more thing: I appreciate all of you who have also taken the time to suggest simple at home solutions for weed killing, and those of you who have commented on the usefulness of dandelions..

What about another option altogether? My yard is evolving into a lawn-less, low-maintenance, drought-resistant, native [mostly, but with plenty of flowers and color] plant haven. Yes, there are weeds, but with others who commented, I use sweat equity to get them and get exercise at the same time! Here in California, and in most parts of the planet, water is a treasured resource. Let's think even bigger than dandelions...

Hey Biters- Dandelions sound tasty, I'll have to give them a try. And as for low-impact gardening, we are planning a tip on xeriscaping (landscaping that's climate-appropriate and water-efficient), so stay tuned! Lindsay- We definitely hear you. Weeding IS great exercise - I should know, since I must have earned 100s of dollars as a kid weeding the neighbors' yards. But since we know some people are going to use herbicides (like Jen), we're thinking, why not give them a few less-toxic options? For a DIY, cost-free option for weed control, see the fabric groundcovers tip, for which you can reuse old sheets/clothes - or magazines or newspapers, as Kristie mentions above. It's available at http://idealbite.com/tiplibrary/tip.php?tip=20050712

My feeling is that dandelions are wonderful. They are pretty yellow flowers that you don’t have to plant and if you look at them as one of the wonders of nature, you might learn to like them. The honeybees even love them. The leaves make a great addition to a salad and I hope you will reconsider your thoughts. If you don’t like them and know you never will, why not buy some CLOVER (yellow or white) and plant those seeds and see how lushly green your yard is when they grow? They are greener than green and – oh, the honeybees love them too! Just my thoughts. Have a lovely day – your newsletter is AWESOME! Lucy