Dandelion dreams

Dandelions are beautiful and they are the first food for the bees. Their bright yellow flowers are a welcome burst of colour after the winter and early spring. The flowers are followed by heads of fairy-like floaty seeds, which create a sphere of softness and potential.

My friend recently compared creating a PhD to a dandelion seed sphere and it’s stuck with me. The seeds are all attached to the centre, all the themes come together to form, understand and answer a question. Each seed is part of the answer, but also has potential to germinate and become its own dandelion of possibilities.

There are so many connecting themes, concepts and topics and it can be overwhelming at times. Everyone says “the more you learn, the less you know” in this vast world of knowledge, thousands of years in the making. Making sense of it all relies on this core question and, probably, sub-questions. Like a guiding light or pathway through the vastness.

Once my seed head has been fully formed (probably 3 years in the growing), I hope the seeds get to go on their own journey too, to new and unexpected places. Dandelions are hardy, growing in cracks in concrete if necessary, using all their resources to thrive wherever they land.

Thank you to my wonderful friend Kt Shepherd for the inspiration of a dandelion-shaped PhD ktshepherdpermaculture.com/