Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Wednesday Explorer Club ~ watching time go by

Seems like just yesterday all my dandelions were bright yellow flowers, busy with bees and beetles collecting pollen. Then - poof! Suddenly the lawn is a sea of white fluffy seed-heads.

The cool thing about dandelions is that they are so ubiquitous you can probably find them at all life stages on your lawn (or in sidewalk cracks). Look closely and you'll see some that are still buds, not quite ready to open. A day later you might spy a bit of yellow. Then they flower and go to seed.

But how long does that take? This week, try to find some dandelions that are just about ready to open, or have just opened. Watch them for a few days.


How do the flowers change with time?
How long do the dandelions flower?
What happens as the dandelion grows older?
When do the fluffy white parachute seeds happen?

If you have a camera, try to take pictures of the dandelion as it changes over time. Or keep track by sketching it in your journal.

Another thing to ponder: do all the dandelions in one area get old and fluffy at the same time? Or are there new flowers opening as old ones lose their seeds to the wind?

And how long does it take for a seed to grow into a plant, anyway?

1 comment:

  1. Poem by Jessica Bigi


    Following paw prints through
    The garden on a rainy day
    Some prints seam to make my
    Boots jump a hopping jig
    Then seam to disappear beneath
    Tulip umbrellas
    Other prints make me hope
    On my tippy tows as they
    Scatter here and there in search of beetles
    Then there are the prints that make my teeth chatter
    Always in a hurry and a scurry
    And very long prints that slide my feet in a shuffle
    Slithering in and out of clovers and petunias
    Some prints bark and some prints mellow
    Wail other prints are busy gathering berries
    But my most favorite garden prints to follow
    Are just like mine just a whole lot bigger
    I follow them with a whistle and a skip
    Through the garden a picking and a weeding
    From the garden through our yard
    From our yard to the kitchen
    One boot two boots three boots four off
    Muddied in a pail
    Fresh sailed homemade soup
    Fresh baked cookies
    For Grandpa and me

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