Spring Has Sprung Down-Under and So Have the Weeds?

'Moon and Flowers' 1854

A dandelion growing wild in my backyard?

Wild dandelions/sow thistles
growing near my pavers

The calendar hanging on my kitchen wall 

First day of spring in Australia
and the southern hemisphere

"In our increasingly chaotic modern lives it seems that we are becoming more disconnected from nature than ever.

In this episode we discuss the concept of “Nature Deficit Disorder”, the possible benevolent intelligence of nature, and ultimately a pan-psychic theory which leads Rupert Sheldrake to question if the Sun is a conscious entity.
Then in our Plus+ extension we take a journey to Oak Island and discuss its alleged lost treasure and the possible phantom guardians that may be protecting it from ever being discovered."

20.09 – MU Podcast

The Healing Code of Nature: Discovering the New Science of Eco-Psychosomatics

Japanese Forest Bathing

The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

Science and Spiritual Practices: Transformative Experiences and Their Effects on Our Bodies, Brains, and Health

A Psychic Study of the Music of the Spheres

A sow thistle is a plant in the dandelion tribe within the daisy family.

Feeling in Contact with Nature on a Nervous Planet?

From the book 'Washing Up is Good for You'

Lucky Bamboo/Lily and Dandelions

What I use to keep my pavers weed free ...
 ironically

"Sonchus oleraceus, with many common names including common sowthistle, sow thistle, smooth sow thistle, annual sow thistle, hare's colwort, hare's thistle, milky tassel, milk thistle, soft thistle, or swinies, is a plant in the dandelion tribe within the daisy family.
Sonchus oleraceus is native to Europe and western Asia.
The scientific name Sonchus refers to the hollow stem, while oleraceus refers to its good taste.

The common name sow thistle refers to its attractiveness to swine, and the similarity of the leaf to younger thistle plants.

The common name hare's thistle refers to its purported beneficial effects on hare and rabbits.

This plant is annual herb with a hollow, upright stem of up to 30–100 cm high.

Prefers full sun, and can tolerate most soil conditions.

The flowers are hermaphroditic, and common pollinators include bees and flies.

It spreads by seeds being carried by wind or water.

This plant is considered an invasive species in many parts of the world, where it is found mostly in disturbed areas.

In Australia it is a common and widespread invasive species, with large infestations a serious problem in crops."

I like "weeds" in the right place in my backyard and won't be getting "weed killer" anywhere near these little miracles of nature.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that there is a lot more to this living mysterious universe than meets the eye I reckon.

I think that I'll have a salad tonight to celebrate the first day of spring and I might even have a few mushrooms as well with my salad;-)

To all my friends at the "top" end of the planet, I hope you enjoy the first day of fall ... enjoy your soup.

Time to smell ... and eat ... the flowers:-)

UPDATE: September 22nd, 2018

My two "weeds" are growing really well.

Here are some photos I took of them this morning.

They're not for consumption though.

I'm going to leave them here in my "garden" and see if they flower year after year.

Now that's optimism for ya, ain't it?-)