Ode to dandelions

Yes, keepers of meticulous (and boring) lawns hate these plants. Yet they are useful and lovely. The bees love these early bloomers. We need the bees to pollinate our food. While we don't technically "need" them, rabbits eat the stem. I watched a baby bunny go to a patch, chomp off a flower stem, nibble the whole thing, letting the seeds drop to the ground. But wait!  Birds (house finches, I think) descended on this same patch, eating the seeds. People can eat the leaves in salad (as long as they aren't covered in chemicals), and we can roast the root to make tea. The long root helps aerate the soil and can help stop erosion. But the best use by far is for me, sitting outside, watching all the wildlife enjoy themselves.