They love it, they love it not
RE “Ode to the Dandelion, Jilted Flower of Spring,” [Feb. 24]: Thanks for the excellent article on the much-maligned dandelion family member Taraxacum officinale. This lovely little gem found in healthy lawns has so much to offer in the form of food, medicine and just plain pleasing appearance that it is maddening to see it portrayed by herbicide purveyors as an evil intruder. What fun kids have picking its delicate seed ball and blowing it into the wind.
I was introduced to the dandelion’s attributes while reading Euell Gibbons’ 1962 classic, “Stalking the Wild Asparagus,” a good introduction to the bounty of edible and useful wild plants found in America.
I was pleased and amused to see a source for dandelion seeds. Those who don’t like them are probably choking on the thought that people would actually want to propagate them.
Patrick C. Murphy
San Gabriel
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ONCE again Emily Green can’t see the forest for the trees. Although I do agree with a lot of what she wrote on the benefits of dandelions, they can be harmful to people with specific allergies to the plant. I also don’t agree with her fear-mongering and scare tactics when it comes to controlling them in your lawn.
The San Francisco think tank Pacific Research Institute reports that only 2% of cancer cases are caused by man-made environmental factors; however, 40% of media coverage of cancer indicates that man-made environmental factors are the cause. More than 70% of cancer cases are attributed to lifestyle components, primarily tobacco, alcohol and poor nutrition.
Green certainly has an agenda, and sometimes this limits a person’s ability to see beyond that agenda. Healthy lawns are important to the urban environment. Homeowners derive benefits of outdoor recreation, exercise and therapeutic relaxation from the care and grooming of lawns.
Apart from these obvious uses, the American lawn mitigates global warming by capturing carbon dioxide; reducing the urban heat island effect through cooling, protecting, restoring and improving soil; accelerating organic chemical decomposition; and reducing air pollution, just to name a few.
Not only can she not see the forest for the trees, she can’t see the grass for the lawn.
Chris Lemcke
Scarborough, Canada
