May 2022 Message from Kilmore Care of Creation
KILMORE CARE OF CREATION
Inspired by LAUDATO SI’, the Encyclical Letter written by Pope Francis ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME
BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER!
Taraxacum Officinale (The Dandelion – In Irish is called ‘caisearbhán’, the dandelion derives its English name from the French, ‘dents de lion’ (lion’s teeth), which refers to the deeply lobed leaf.
“The earth produced vegetation: the various kinds of seed-bearing plants and the fruit trees with seed inside, each corresponding to its own species, God saw that it was good.” (Gen.1:12)
“Once described by American Biologist Paul Ehrlich as “perhaps the greatest mystery in the world of plant sex”, the Dandelion provides no cross-fertilisation and never interbreeds. Its seeds are asexual and grow as clones of the mother plant.
Fluffy seeds follow resembling parachutes and these are carried on the wind and in past times, provided endless hours of fun for children who would count each blow as they cast every seed into the wind.
This beautiful plant contains about 100 florets that are rich in pollen and bloom earlier than most other spring flowers. It is one of the earliest sources of nectar for the solitary bumblebees, butterflies, ladybirds and other insects that emerge starving in spring. Goldfinches and sparrows also feed on the seeds of the Dandelion. The plant is enjoyed by ewes and pigs and is known for its many medicinal uses for humans. It is packed with vitamins and antioxidants and was used to treat a wide variety of ailments from colds and constipation to asthma and ulcers.
NOW THIS IS THE QUESTION!
‘To Weed or not to Weed’
The Dandelion has become a source of annoyance for the neat and tidy gardener! Instead of being protected and valued, gardeners are choosing to eradicate them by poisoning the dandelion with pesticides. Without the Dandelion, there would be no bees, no pollinators, no honey, no fruit, no vegetables and difficulty sustaining the global human population.
“A sober look at our world shows that the degree of human intervention, often in the service of business interests and consumerism, is actually making our earth less rich and beautiful, even more limited and grey, even as technological advances and consumer goods continue to abound limitlessly. We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have created ourselves.” (POPE FRANCIS in Laudato Si 34).
COME ON, GIVE THE DANDELION A CHANCE!
- Stop or reduce mowing
- Set aside an area free of mowing or create an undiverge/border around grass areas
Small actions have big benefits. It will:
- Save you Time
- Save you Money
- Improve Air Quality
- Reduce Energy Consumption
- Save Water
- Save the Bees
- Increase Biodiversity
For additional resources: