The Guerrilla Gardening Home Page 18 of Nature’s Most Powerful Medicinal Plants (Part of an Exclusive WebEcoist Series on Amazing Trees, Plants, Forests and Flowers) From marijuana to catnip, there are hundreds of remarkably common herbs, flowers, berries and plants that serve all kinds of important medicinal and health purposes that might surprise you: anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, insect repellent, antiseptic, expectorant, antibacterial, detoxification, fever reduction, antihistamine and pain relief. Here are eighteen potent medical plants you're likely to find in the wild – or even someone's backyard – that can help with minor injuries, scrapes, bites and pains.* Marijuana Images via Current and Street Knowledge Seriously. Lady Ferns Image via US Forest Service If you grew up in the Pacific Northwest you likely know what ferns are good for: treating stinging nettles. California Poppy Images via Netstate and Mountain Meadow Seeds The brilliant blooms of the poppy make this opioid plant an iconic one. Blood Flower Tansy Image via Earth Heart Farm Korean Mint (hyssop) Sage
The Easiest Indoor Plants That Won't Die On You Don't let anyone fool you — indoor gardening is just as fun as having an outdoor garden. In fact, indoor plants not only help clean the environment around them, but they act as a quick decorating tool. We found 15 hardy indoor house plants that anyone can keep alive and thriving. If you've got kids or pets, do note before you buy: some may be toxic. Check out expert tips on how to keep fresh cut flowers fresh. Pothos C.O.T/a.collectionRF/amana images/Getty Images Why you want it: First of all, this indoor plant has an air-purifying quality that can absorb and strip toxins like formaldehyde from materials in the home like carpet. How to care for it: This indoor house plant can produce stems that trail eight feet or longer, so just cut them back when they get too long and your plant will continue to look full and healthy. Aloe Jeremy Hopley/Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images How to care for it: Aloe likes room temperatures around 70 degrees and a lot of sunlight. Spider Plant English Ivy Jade Plant
60 of the world's happiest facts 1. A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. 2. If you fake laugh long enough you’ll start to really laugh, really, really hard. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.The kingdom of Bhutan use ‘gross national happiness’ as a key national indicator. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 2013 is the first year since 1987 that consists for four different digits. 59. 60.
Basement Aquaponics & Raising Tilapia » FreestyleFarm This summer, twenty little Blue Nile Tilapia were hand delivered to my door. I had given up all hopes of finding a supplier in Canada, and was thrilled when I found one near my home. The fish spent their summer growing out in the greenhouse where our first aquaponic system was made. Once the cooler temperatures of September came around, we relocated them inside to a 100-gallon stock tank (giant water bowls for cows and horses). Here’s the growbed two weeks after seeding. October 15: The bok choy, kale and basil are already forming secondary leaves. More green onions and celery. You can see water is continually being pumped (coming out of white tube) to fill the growbed. October 21: A week later, look how much they’ve grown. October 26: So this is when I started noticing that the leaves were not as green as they should be; instead they were a mottled yellow. Who knew that plants needed a dark rest period? October 29: New leaves are looking a little greener. November 25: A lush jungle.
10 Most Useful Medicinal Plants For Your Garden Would you like to create your very own backyard pharmacy by growing medicinal plants? There’s no better way to use whatever extra space you have at home than to create a garden space where you can grow medicinal plants. In fact, even if you live in an apartment setting, you can create a windowsill garden where you can grow medicinal plants. This is especially useful if you have little kids running around in the house who can acquire a burn, a shallow wound, a sore or strike up a fever. Basically, the medicinal plants to grow in your very own little garden space should be ones with the most number of medicinal values. Factors that You Need to Consider when Growing Medicinal Plants in a Garden Before giving out the top 10 medicinal plants that you can grow in your very own garden, here are a few tips to get you started. First, check on the area where you plan to grow the medicinal plants in. 1. If there’s one medicinal plant which has 101 uses, that is none other than aloe vera. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
16 Things I Wish They Had Taught Me in School I am 28 now. I don’t think about the past or regret things much these days. But sometimes I wish that I had known some of things I have learned over the last few years a bit earlier. That perhaps there had been a self-improvement class in school. And in some ways there probably was. Because some of these 16 things in this article a teacher probably spoke about in class. Some of it would probably not have stuck in my mind anyway. But I still think that taking a few hours from all those German language classes and use them for some personal development classes would have been a good idea. So here are 16 things I wish they had taught me in school (or I just would like to have known about earlier). 1. This is one of the best ways to make better use of your time. So a lot of what you do is probably not as useful or even necessary to do as you may think. You can just drop – or vastly decrease the time you spend on – a whole bunch of things. 2. You can do things quicker than you think. 3. 4. 5.
WannaLearn.com we like it wild: bottle gardens As much as we love to garden, sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do it all. If there’s a way we can shorten our to-do list, we’ll take it. This week’s project, a no-fuss recycled windowsill herb garden, has knocked watering the plants off our list. Self-watering planters like these aren’t a new idea; we remember our own childhood craft books that taught us how to poke holes through Dixie cups or invert two liter plastic bottles to grow our own little bean garden. This grown-up version is much better looking and works great for small herbs and plants. We used beer bottles for ours, but you could make a larger garden with wine bottles too. Although this project may take a little more effort than your average windowsill garden initially, the pay off is worth it for us: we get to usefully recycle bottles, we get fresh herbs we don’t have to dote on, and we get a sparkling window display. CLICK HERE for the full (photo illustrated) project steps after the jump!
Small Urban Space Rain Gardens Rain gardens aren’t just for homeowners with large tracts of land. A rain garden planted in a small urban area can make a big difference in the water quality and environment of its surrounding area. When it rains in densely populated urban areas, impervious surfaces such as roads, sidewalks, and roofs not planted with gardens, trees, or turf, produce runoff that goes straight into storm sewers. Some storm drains carry water to treatment plants, while water from other storm drains washes directly into lakes, rivers, and oceans. Photo, City of Kingston, Melbourne, Australia In addition to impervious surfaces made of concrete or asphalt, many urban areas have vacant, muddy lots. Planting a rain garden, even a small one, can help divert water and keep it within the aquifer and out of streams and lakes. Small urban rain garden at 2008 Chelsea Flower Show • Rain gardens need to be constructed to drain within four hours of a 1” rainfall. Eupatorium is suitable for rain gardens.
The Nature of Ambition az said... well, that's so true. Soemtimes though, it's not due to ambition. Things just get bigger and bigger until you can't handle them. January 15, 2013 at 1:22 PM Glen Isip said... Such a sweet ending! January 15, 2013 at 1:50 PM Kathryn said... lovely ending, in fact the whole comic is lovely. i enjoyed the journey. :) January 15, 2013 at 4:11 PM dean said... Such a beautiful story. January 16, 2013 at 1:04 AM syed said... i still belive, There is nothing spontanous or natural about Human desires, we know what we desire but how do we what we desire, its all created from outside January 16, 2013 at 6:28 AM Grant said... Thanks all! January 16, 2013 at 7:48 AM Catie Chan said... Someone posted your comic on 9gag. January 17, 2013 at 1:23 PM Paintings said... You've really captured the fun in these. January 18, 2013 at 12:18 AM Lisa said... Grant, that is so sweet! January 19, 2013 at 12:31 AM Anonymous said... Saw you reblogged on tumblr! January 19, 2013 at 4:52 AM Jull said... Greasemonkey said...
Keep rainforests – they drive the planet's winds - environment - 31 January 2013 WHAT creates the wind? Anyone will tell you that temperature differences are key. Hot air rises and is replaced by cooler air surging in beneath. Except that maybe the explanation found in every textbook is too simple. What if, instead, the winds that drive atmospheric circulation are mainly created by the condensation of moisture? Much of this occurs over rainforests as water evaporates or is transpired from the trees. The physical process itself is not in dispute. Climate scientists have always regarded this as a trivial effect. But physicist Anastassia Makarieva of St Petersburg University in Russia says the pressure gradients it would create "have never received a theoretical investigation". Co-author Douglas Sheil at Southern Cross University in Lismore, Australia, says critics have yet to explain why they think Makarieva is wrong. Judith Curry of the Georgia Institute of Technology, an author of the standard textbook Thermodynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans, is encouraging.
How to start a vegetable garden Spring has sprung, and even if you have a black thumb, you may be feeling inspired to dig in the dirt. How about starting a vegetable garden? Though the process involves more than picking a random spot, making holes and planting seeds, taking these simple steps can help ensure a successful growing season. Plan your plot. Best results require good soil and good sun, which means the location of your garden is crucial. Find a spot in your yard that you see often, such as near the door or the mailbox, so you can keep an eye on progress. Test the soil. Purchase the right tools. Prep the soil. Choose the right seeds. Plant your seeds. Keep it up. Have other ideas on how to start a vegetable garden? See also: MNN homepage photo: tboard/Flickr