Thanks to Viv Leach, of Bingham, Nottinghamshire:

‘The official flower of the military child is the dandelion [Taraxacum officinale].  Dandelions put down roots almost anywhere, and it’s almost impossible to destroy.  It’s an unpretentious plant, yet good-looking.  It’s a survivor in a broad range of climates.

Military children bloom everywhere the winds carry them.  They are hardy and upright. Their roots are strong, cultivated deeply in the culture of the Army … planted swiftly and securely.  They’re ready to fly in the breezes that take them to new adventures, new lands, and new friends.

Military children are well-rounded, culturally aware, tolerant and extremely resilient.  They have learned from an early age at home is where there hearts are, that a good friend can be found in every corner of the world.

They learn that to survive means to adapt that the door that closes one chapter of their life opens up a new and exciting adventure full of new friends and new experiences.’

Images:   main, Barnes Common, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, April 2018; inset, Tooting Common, London Borough of Wandsworth, May 2020.

Edited 2 May 2021.