Regina Sauer, age 9, of Indianapolis, Indiana, for her question:

Where do dandelion seeds come from?

In early spring, dandelions tend to pop up all over the lawn. We don't want them there because their wide leaves spoil the look of the neat green grass. So we get busy and root them out. Weeding is wearisome work and when we pause to rest, chances are we wonder how all those pesky dandelions got in the grass. Actually they did it very prettily     and if you wait a while you can watch it happen.

The leafy dandelion plant sprouts a bright golden flower, like a very fat daisy. It is as pretty as almost any flower in the garden. Soon it fades. Its bright yellow petals fade. In a week or so, it becomes a feathery white ball of fluff. Some people call this pretty thing a dandelion clock. When you blow on it, one two three, its little white feathers float away in the air. Actually, each one is carrying a tiny dandelion seed. If it falls on the lawn, you can expect a new dandelion plant to sprout in the spring