And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
Almost every time I see one of these little beauties, I am reminded of worldly thinking. Worldly thinking comes so easily to us that we rarely see it for what it is. Millions of people hate this little flower and spend thousands of dollars and thousands of man hours to eradicate it. Why? It is a valuable part of any landscape. It is one of the earliest, most reliable sources of spring nectar and pollen for honeybees and other pollinators. It only grows in soil that is depleted of calcium, and its function is to send a taproot deep into the subsoil and bring calcium up to the surface. As its leaves die, their calcium is released into the soil, enriching it and nourishing surrounding plants. Over time the soil becomes rich in calcium, and these wildflowers will no longer grow there. Later, as the soil's calcium is consumed by other plants, the windblown seeds will find that area a suitable spot to sprout and start the cycle again.
What could be bad about such a plant? It has simply run afoul of the world.
English estates set the tone in the 17th century for a standard symbol of wealth and status - a closely grazed or hand-cut lawn. Attempts were made to copy these elegant lawns in the United States, but English grass didn't do well here, and we didn't have the same damp climate. Not to worry. Golf did make the migration across the ocean, and by the early 1900's one thousand golf clubs began funding USDA research for grass seed that would yield an immaculate lawn. It didn't take long for turf to become a major industry. The American Garden Club joined in the push to create a market by starting a campaign through contests for the best looking yards according to the golf club standard: "a plot with a single type of grass with no intruding weeds, kept mown at a height of an inch and a half, uniformly green and neatly edged." Now the old English lawn was on it's way to being viewed as an American civic duty. American yards that had been packed dirt and cottage gardens with a variety of beautiful, useful and edible plants, with grass only used where it could serviceably reduce mud or dust, were now required by social consensus to transition to monoculture, labor intensive, sterile lawns.
English estates set the tone in the 17th century for a standard symbol of wealth and status - a closely grazed or hand-cut lawn. Attempts were made to copy these elegant lawns in the United States, but English grass didn't do well here, and we didn't have the same damp climate. Not to worry. Golf did make the migration across the ocean, and by the early 1900's one thousand golf clubs began funding USDA research for grass seed that would yield an immaculate lawn. It didn't take long for turf to become a major industry. The American Garden Club joined in the push to create a market by starting a campaign through contests for the best looking yards according to the golf club standard: "a plot with a single type of grass with no intruding weeds, kept mown at a height of an inch and a half, uniformly green and neatly edged." Now the old English lawn was on it's way to being viewed as an American civic duty. American yards that had been packed dirt and cottage gardens with a variety of beautiful, useful and edible plants, with grass only used where it could serviceably reduce mud or dust, were now required by social consensus to transition to monoculture, labor intensive, sterile lawns.
The consequences? An acre of lawn costs more to maintain than crops of corn, rice or sugarcane, and yields nothing. Massive expenditures, $30 million dollars a year in the U.S., fund the pesticides, herbicides, fuel, etc. required. Pesticides and herbicides are a serious health risk for anyone, and especially those with suppressed immune function, but we must have that perfect lawn! Irrigation? 200 gallons of water per person, per day. Gas? 800 million gallons of it are sucked up by American lawns each year. And my wildflower? Well, when lawns became the standard, many valuable plants became relegated to the category "weed,"wildflowers included.
How are you feeling about lawns right now? Maybe you're looking at them in a new light. Then again, maybe you're digging in your mental heels and saying, "But I LIKE a nice lawn. It expresses neatness and order and responsibility!" Maybe a shabby lawn is tantamount to anarchy as far as you are concerned.
I'm not asking you to give up your lawn (though giving less of your property over to it, increasing your plantings of more valuable plants, and going with a mixed lawn are certainly good ideas.) I simply hope to show how easily our thinking is formed by the world without our even realizing it.
Do we need to rethink EVERYTHING? I believe we do. I believe that God commands it in His Word.
Do we need to rethink EVERYTHING? I believe we do. I believe that God commands it in His Word.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We cannot receive all that God has for us until we allow him to change our minds. Our minds tend to be like lawns, clipped, static, and bound by the limits of our culture. Our God stands ready to transform them into vibrant landscapes.
The next time you see a dandelion in your yard, I hope you'll see it a little differently than most Americans. A common yellow flower that renews the soil just might help us renew our minds.
Oh, and if you're imprisoned in a neighborhood that has made outlaws of these small, very beneficial flowers, please don't reach for the poison. You don't even have to suffer through laborious digging (getting that specially designed taproot is a tough job!) Simply sprinkle your lawn with a dusting of gypsum. That will raise the calcium levels of the soil, and our friends won't grow there. Then you can come to the farm and blow dandelion clocks, guilt-free, to your heart's content.
The next time you see a dandelion in your yard, I hope you'll see it a little differently than most Americans. A common yellow flower that renews the soil just might help us renew our minds.
Oh, and if you're imprisoned in a neighborhood that has made outlaws of these small, very beneficial flowers, please don't reach for the poison. You don't even have to suffer through laborious digging (getting that specially designed taproot is a tough job!) Simply sprinkle your lawn with a dusting of gypsum. That will raise the calcium levels of the soil, and our friends won't grow there. Then you can come to the farm and blow dandelion clocks, guilt-free, to your heart's content.
Photo by Abie White
Educational and delightful! I did not know about dandelions providing calcium to the soil. Calls for a rethink for sure! :)
ReplyDeleteWow! Thank you for this!!! Makes me feel better about NEVER having a perfect lawn!
ReplyDeleteLove it! Fantastic post! Hope there are many more to come. :)
ReplyDelete