Dandelions - a joyful childhood folklore favourite

At this time of year, this field near my home in Somerset is carpeted with dandelions. As I walked through it a few days ago, I was transported back to my primary school field, sitting with friends, making wishes and telling the time with our dandelion clocks.

I do love digging up obscure bits of old folklore I never knew about, but surely making wishes as we blow the fluffy globe of seeds from a dandelion head - or counting how many puffs it takes to tell the time (which I distinctly remember actually believing as a very small child) - are some of the oldest and most joyful folklore tales we carry with us.

The way dandelions open and close with the sun has also earned them the nickname "Shepherd's Clock" – perhaps more reliable than blowing on the seed heads, but not nearly as much fun!

And speaking of signs - in traditional folklore, a bumper crop of dandelions was seen as a good omen, promising a fruitful year ahead. Judging by the golden fields near home this spring, I’m feeling hopeful.

Combined with the old oak-before-ash lore pointing towards a fine summer, it seems nature might just be smiling on us this year.

And I’m going to put this out there: I love dandelions (yes, even in my lawn).
A vital early source of nectar for struggling insects - as you can see in this shot of a Small Tortoiseshell I took at the start of April last year - they keep shining right through the summer, like little mini-suns looking up to the real thing.