March 28th is an uncommon day of appreciation.

Every year this day rolls around we celebrate weeds. Not marijuana, but the plant that people like to get rid of.

Weeds provide fantastic benefits and an amazing time for learning.

It’s unusual to assign a special day for a thing like this in my opinion. Weeds are not exactly on everyone’s favorite list.

Let’s be honest, they get everywhere and when you try to get rid of them, they always come back. They are not the most attractive type of plant in the world.

If all of this is true, then why on earth would weeds ever be given an appreciation day?

Weeds actually have wonderful benefits. They can be used in food, drinks, and even for medical uses.

One particular weed that everyone is familiar with is the dandelion. A dandelion is the small, golden colored, fuzzy looking weed that overtakes everyone’s yards in the summer. Even though your parents always hated when you played with them and kicked them around because that always spread them throughout the lawn more, they have incredible health benefits.

Dandelions, according to the National Day Calendar, can be used in wines, teas and in food dishes. Since they are high in vitamin A and C, iron, calcium and fiber, the Native Americans even used them to cure medical aliments.

This shows the endless amounts of benefits that come from a dandelion.

There is another very common weed, particularly in the South, which is used in health drinks known as chicory. It is a little plant with bright blue flowers. More often than not, chicory is ripped from the ground without it being used for all the beautiful things it can be.

As stated by Days of the Year, “Weeds are weeds only if you don’t want them where you find them.”

A word of warning before you go outside and start eating your lawn, make sure any weeds or plants you intend on consuming are free of any toxins that can harm you. Some of these toxins include, herbicides and pesticides, or animal urine and feces.

We want to appreciate the weeds, not die from them.

Before you go crazy and start ripping all the weeds you can find, think of what A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh, said, “Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.”

So on March 28, venture outside and appreciate all the weeds that are starting to grow in this spring weather.