Wildflowers grace East Vancouver sidewalks

At the foot of a garden wall on East Broadway, these dandelions -- weeds -- bloom among the authorized plants that gardeners have placed there.

Though gardeners may vilify them, these are cheerful and lovely at the peak of their spring bloom.

When contemporary urban people look at dandelions, they see lawn invaders. But these tough, thick-rooted plants are very useful.

People in earlier times and more rural societies recognized the value of the spring leaves as vitamin-rich greens, and used the roots to make a drink resembling coffee. They also made Dandelion wine.