84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 1, 1999 On Being a Farm Wife (and other hazards) , Joyce Bupp One day they aren’t there. The next day they are. That’s how quickly the most traditional and maligned blooms of springtime appear when all the conditions get right. One day you have that per fect, green lawn, looking like a sparkling, new carpet around your home. The next, Mother Nature has sprinkled her cheery, springtime confetti all about your pristine, mowed within-an-inch-of-its-life blue grass. Dandelions. Bah! Humbug! Weeds! Sez who? Well, no, dandelions don’t carry the social significance of, say, a rose or an orchid. They don’t match the fragrance of a carnation or a butterfly bush or a heliotrope. Or exude the majestic aura of a perfectly formed iris. Dandelion stems don’t lend themselves well to artistic Maintenance Free Railings For Porches, Decks or Balconies We have the expertise to design & create a system just to fit your need. Any Size, Different Styles Quality Workmanship 717-354-0524 vinyl railing Ho,la " d PA Laiii-—. TT arrangements. Nor do they hold up in a casual bouquet with the stamina of a chrysanthemum, or a zinnia, or a host of cheery, durable daisies. In fact, picked and plunked into a vase of water, dandelions will wilt into a limp mop. But who could deny the beau ty of their brilliant, almost-neon yellow? Their myriad of minis cule, pointed petals, perfectly shaped and layered into a mound of gold? Their attraction to toddlers too innocent to know or care that dandelions have been relegated to the renegade side of the plant world and who lovingly pick a bouquet for you? Is it just coincidence that the early wild flowers of spring echo the bright, optimistic colors of the sky: yellow for sunshine and blues reflecting the heavens overhead? As the dandelions suddenly burst on the scene in full, if somewhat coarse, blos soms, dainty wild violets smile with clear blue faces in color contrast and natural compan- ionshii And, at least in our yard, both of these uncultivated plants bloom at the feet of the cascades of yellow forsythias. Our resi dent cardinal pair likes to pause in the forsythia enroute to the bird feeder, the male’s brilliant red in dramatic color-contrast to the glowing forsythia. And cool weather this year extended their breathtaking beauty far longer than usual, along with the clumps of daffodils—yellow (and lots of whites, too) —scattered among the flowerbeds. Slowly, other colors begin to introduce themselves into the landscape, as a few pink hyacinths venture out under the contoneaster bush and coral tulips push up among the late daffodils on a bank. But nothing is more indica tive of the season than those übiquitous chips of yellow which scatter themselves about, even venturing into places where more “civilized” plants rarely go. We have dandelions blooming from between the cracks of a sidewalk. We have dandelions blooming between paving stones forming a patio base. We have dandelions blooming among f* i|i ■ ■wBSbWJI 81l I^* II || 3* Vdra wek~chest ' t&mLZ fl “ bunk"beds' iLif i White | • choose from I , COCKTAIL &f END TABLE SET W Reg. Price I culp “ ,^“ k “«| InOakor White Wash Frnish I** Our Price 5339*6 I ASatety, '-- |4| S Closeout Price £--€= i ' ; B^ n Blw°r.o S «. 1 ™™ s ' j, * $239.95 | St« ~ Jj Q k'S H J $209.95/ y 9$ %d 'UL~(CANTEDfEKONT N ,r»PRRorKFIT sofa's: loveseat n M BT CURIO I GLIDER ROCKER \\ CLOSEOUT 'TTL M 1 0«k or Cheny,FUils h -Your , Avail.bt. in Blue. Beige ( y| n YVin' 'W 7*f I Reg. Retail $149.95 jJJ| li* g| m - Lighted Interior Cash Price $129.88 1 .X ' SSt • Mirrored Back I _. f I • Falrvlew Arbor Green I « 'rT Reg Retail $599 95 . With Coupon | Reg. Retail $2100.00 t Xjg aI >y. With Coupon 1 IfIQM Wtsr / our«..hwc.sr«9s I (Bp _ t^TG^ 8 _ fLg/ TWIN/DOUBLE - n 'seCtTonal sleeper" s / 5 PIECE DINETTE SET N 4| **£ FUTON BUNK BED 1 ‘ CLOSEOUT Trailer Load • Dealer Refusal I A-Bed Factory Liquidation I 30”X60” Solid Oak Table >Jf A9S 4» ~ with B'Futon Mattress i Rea. Price $>89.95 *>. P® 35 “t jrr i our price*™ Reg Ret $B9B 95 I I * j.. w%QC SLv V I *SF *7* 4| Reg Low Price $329.95 Retail $2589.95 . v4H“ /T\l Ih\ ,