According to The Roving Gardener calendar for March "This is weed time in Austin." And they write in "Lawn Care for the Austin Area" at Austin City Connection, "Weeds do well here..." So, what do you do about the weeds invading your lawn? Mowing and pulling them up by hand seem to be the defense of choice. Each year I have good intentions toward my lawn, but usually the weeds get no special attention one way or the other at my house. If they manage to dodge the mower blades, so be it.

If you're more conscientious about your yard and dandelions are the bane of your Spring yard care regimen, take a cue from About Landscaping Guide David Beaulieu in his article "Dandelion Weeds" and either beat them or eat them. If they survive the haphazard mowing at my house then the likely outcome is the yellow flowers morph into those little fluff balls which we love to blow on -- thus spreading the joy of dandelions to the neighbors.

My daughters love salads but I have trouble getting them to move beyond iceberg lettuce. Their finicky eating aside, dandelion greens seems a perfect fit for health-conscious Austin. Consider some of these green eats options:

• KUT 90.5: Recipe for Warm Dandelion Greens Salad with Goat Cheese Fondue
• About Greek Food: Horta: Boiled Leafy Green Salad with Dandelion Greens
• Veg Out! Austin: Where Can I Get a Salad in Austin?
• Veg Out! Austin: Soup and Salad Reviews

^{More: Austin Lawncare and Gardening | Austin Restaurants | Texas Dandelion | The Natural Gardener: The Dandelion Room | Zanthan Gardens}
_{Photo by Leon Brooks / Used with permission of BurningWell.org}