Dandelions

Okay, so I am writing a debate for one of my classes at school and I decided I would use the structure of a dandelion to support my case. Anyway, I have been researching them (there is surprisingly little information on them) and I have found out just how amazingly intricate they actually are!

Okay, just looking at the flower head, we can see bright, happy yellow petals around the outside, darkening to almost orange towards the middle. Actually, the inner petals are not petals at all - they are mini flowers.

So you can see the inner "petals" split and curl at the top? Well, they are the tiny flowers. This structure gives more pollen for the bees to collect - more honey! 

The inner flowers of this ingenious design close at night, giving an incredible pattern.

You can see the individual petals on each flower here. The shape of the flower looks almost like a heart!

Okay, so now I'll move on to the seed head.

The soft fluffiness not only creates a perfect sphere, but it also creates a "parachute" for the seed as it blows around in the wind, searching for a new home to create its own masterpiece.

As the seed blows on, the parachute begins to change into a ball of its own, now providing protection for the delicate seed with so much potential all around it, cushioning its landing.

Going back a few steps, I'll now talk about the little white dimply part that the seeds hold on to.

I have always thought of it looking like a microphone (the misconceptions we can have as children) but I have found that if you look really really really carefully, you can see little holes in each dimple where each seed latches on to, receiving all the nutrients it needs to grow and form a little life.

Not yet. Closer...

There! You see the little holes? At this level, you can also see the the barb-like structure on the seeds themselves. This is to help with them being "planted", kind of like cobbler's pegs (though no where near as annoying).

The stem itself is pretty cool. It is hollow, giving it the structure of a bird's bones.

The white sappy stuff has anti-fungal properties, meaning that it can be used on warts, athlete's foot and other fungal problems.

I have always thought the jagged leaves (for which dandelions are named - dent de lion, which is French for lion's tooth) didn't suit the rest of the soft, delicate plant. However, the leaves are extremely high in vitamins (especially a) and are recommended everywhere to be used in stir fries.

Who would pass up something that looks as delicious as that?

The leaves can also be used to make tea.

Okay, so I'm nearly done. So, what's left? Well, the root of course! What is so significant about the root? Well...
The root can be used as a substitute for coffee!

Now, I haven't tried this and I don't actually know what it tastes like, but apparently it can help with heart disease and diabetes.

Well, I hope you now can appreciate dandelions as much as I do.

Why watch a movie... when you can READ?!

I'm that person who would rather read the book than watch the movie. I feel the emotions stronger. I get attached to the characters better. I even (sometimes) end up finding myself (almost) falling in love with the main guy in the story (depending on what genre the book is), but it never happens when I watch a movie. I guess it's probably bad feeling that way towards a fictional character (especially when considering my current circumstances)...

I enjoy gardening. In fact, I prefer plants to animals. Animals annoy me. The constantly need feeding and they don't shut up when they want something. Plants are quiet, shady and without them, we would not be here.

I prefer knitting and making things to buying them. If I see something in the shop, say a cushion or blanket, I immediately start thinking of how I could change it slightly to something I would like even better. Home decorating shops inspire me. I walk in and everywhere I look, I see something that I think I could make, but with a slight twist. I could spend an entire day just window shopping.

I love absolutely everything to do with music. It is so beautiful and every time I listen to it, I could just sink into the song and live there among the harmonies and the different levels of instruments and pitch. I believe music is one of the most powerful sources of life and death. It has potential to bring people up, and to also knock them down. It is intensely astounding.

I prefer being outside to inside. However, I generally hate playing sport. Okay, so I enjoy playing volleyball or soccer, maybe even basketball, with my friends, but I don't enjoy playing a full on game of sport. I prefer sitting outside, enjoying life, enjoying nature.

Down to the point, if you'd never met me before reading this, you would never have guessed I am not even out of high school... Or maybe you would've. Maybe I tend to over exaggerate. Maybe my "weirdness" is really all in my head an I'm more normal than I want to believe (except for my love of school, especially maths).

Maybe I should just stop reading romance novels... Nope - they're way too good...

Back to writing songs...