More often than not the word "beautiful" precedes the word wisteria, with good reason.  However, consider these other facts about the wisteria:  The beautiful wisteria, a wild vine that can morph itself in old age into a tree.   The beautiful wisteria that those with patience can train into a tree. The beautiful wisteria, an invasive weed who can be either poison or a delightful wine.  The beautiful wisteria, the Victorian word-speak for over passionate love border lining on obsession.  The beautiful wisteria, whose lovely perfume can be a heavenly scent but is secretly a card-carrying member of the pea family.  The beautiful wisteria, who dresses in white, lavender, blue, violet, purple, pink, dark purple, and red is often beyond beautiful when it comes to a description.

Wisteria is also a deciduous twining shrub, that is both native to North America and Asia, belonging to the pea family.  Wisterias rank among the best of the ornamental vines for temperate regions, and often attain a good old age and large size.  Speaking of large size, the among oldest of wisterias known to exist is one in the California Sierra Madres.  It covers over one acre, is estimated to weigh over 250 tons, and has been alive and blooming since 1894, when it was planted from a single Chinese lavender wisteria slip.

As beautiful as wisteria's can be, they are coveted and known to be able to grow in almost any soil, but thrive best in a deep rich loam that does not get too dry.  They are at their picturesque best when allowed to grow at will, into an old tree.  Displayed on a wall or building, it is best to pay attention to training the growth.  They are sometimes grown in standard form, but also have been long a favorite of patient bonsai tree growers for centuries.

“In pale moonlight

the wisteria’s scent

comes from far away"

Yosa Buson

 

Wisteria can be readily forced to grow in pots.  As their roots are long, but not fibrous, the plants are best transplanted when small or from pots rather than field.  Wisteria's have a sad side in that they often disappoint by not flowering for many years.  These non-producers are usually seedlings, and it's anyone guess how long it will take for them to mature to flowering.  Therefore, it is best to plant only grafted or layered wisterias to insure a less lengthy wait for your wisteria to bloom.

Of the many varieties of wisteria, some favorites are the:

• Chinese Wisteria (most vigorous in climbing) with violet-blue flowers
• Japanese Wisteria (most hardy) with more fragrant flowers in either pink or white
• Silky Wisteria (hardy Chinese variety) that grows up to 30 feet that comes in a variety of colors
• Frutescens (North American variety) that is hardy and can grow from Virginia southward, in lilac-purple
• Macrostachya (North American variety) that is hardy from Illinois to Massachusetts, in light blue colors with larger clusters of flowers

Please note that if you want to grow wisteria and live in the South where wisteria can be invasive, always choose an American wisteria variety, such as: Wisteria frutescens, Miletta reticulata, Summer Wisteria, or Amethyst Falls selections to prevent this problem.  Wisteria will not do well in certain parts of Florida.

Added Benefit of Growing Wisteria

Wisteria is not only a human favorite for its beauty, it is also a favorite host plant to the silver-spotted skipper butterfly and the long-tailed skipper butterfly.   Found especially along the Atlantic coast and other portions of the Southeast, they are among the snowbirds of the butterfly world who winter in Florida each year.    They are also a welcome addition to the overall beauty of having Wisteria.

Sometimes a gardener has to declare a small private war on the pests that can invade our outdoor environment and depending upon where you live on this planet.  For most of us, the most hated enemy is likely universally going to be the mosquito.  This insect vector of diseases has killed more people than all the wars on earth put together.  Each day, three thousand people die somewhere in the world just from a mosquito bite exposure to several deadly diseases.  Our pets, farm animals, and live stock all suffer and die from this disease carrying member of the fly family too.  

Gardening On A Grand Scale

Finally, the only effective way for a mosquito control garden or landscape to actually work is to really think about what your garden design has space for and to do it in a big way.  The more plants who act as insect barriers, the less mosquitoes will find your property attractive.  Less mosquitoes will also mean less of other numbers of insect pests who share the same taste bud aversion for these plants.  

A seasonal unwanted guest in many a garden, the danger of not having adequate mosquito control can ruin any chances of a gardener or their loved ones enjoying being outdoors -- at the very times of the year when your property is meant to be enjoyed.  Suppose I were to tell you that:  

"There is a choice beyond "eau Deet" being your perfume of choice or poisoning your environment with chemicals."

Mosquito Control

Traditionally, we will all want to make other choices in mosquito control, especially if we have made the move to only organic in our gardens.  Yes, light colored clothing will be donned and our shirts will be tucked in.  Short of a fishing trip to the salt flats, long sleeves and long pants in tropical weather or extreme hot weather, probably isn't going to happen.  However,  all possible sources of standing water right down to a lost bottle cap will be found and emptied.  Yes, we agree on the rule about no standing water.  We've bought citronella candles, mosquito coils, mosquito cakes,  yellow bug lights, and netting again this season.  Some of us will even resort to inviting our bat friends as permanent house guests.  We will continue to use all these useful weapons.  But some suggestions like -- staying indoors at sunrise, early evening, and sunset isn't always possible or practical.  

Of course, most people have seen or heard of planting mosquito plants only to discover that while this can help a little in the nearby vicinity -- it isn't effective.  A quick internet search will lead you to the conclusion that there is not much scientific proof that planting certain plants will effectively help control these ravenous insects that are the bane of every outdoor enthusiast or gardener.  However, that's because most people mistakenly think that having a few strategically placed plants that are unfriendly to mosquitoes plants will do the job.  The truth is, you are thinking like a fisherman trying to catch fish with a tiny fish tank net in too big of a pond from the shoreline.

Declaring Your Garden A No-Mosquito Zone

If you don't want to resort to the extreme of harmful and expensive chemicals to get rid of mosquitoes like many theme park and public places do -- then it's time to get off the shoreline, wade out into the deep water trenches, and declare war on mosquitoes by making your property a "no mosquito zone."  Think of the area that you wish to commune with nature in as like the site of your own personal "fort."  Build the walls of your invisible fortress with mosquito repelling trees, shrubs, plants, and herbs.

Designing Your Mosquito Control Garden

Further internet searches will initially give you the impression that there are only a few choices of plants that mosquitoes avoid.  If you limited yourself to them, it would be a pretty boring garden or landscaping design.  Obviously a few plants here and there, aren't going to make a dent in the sheer numbers of these pests who will pay you a visit.  After all, you wouldn't want to plant an entire yard in citronella.  Or fill a yard full of catnip (which would give you some new problems to wage war upon).  Article after article will keep naming the following plants:  

• Citronella
• Lavender
• Marigolds
• Ageratum
• Bee Balm (Horsemint)
• Dill
• Garlic

These are not your only choices.  The truth is you have over fifty documented mosquito hated plants, shrubs, herbs, and trees to create your mosquito free property.  If you fill your space with a variety of them your garden or yarn can be not only attractive, inexpensive, but give you a mosquito free zone.  All a mosquito control garden takes is some planning -- which is true of any garden or landscape.  

Mosquito Deterrent Plants, Shrubs, Herbs, and Trees

The Neem Tree

With over fifty choices in mosquito weaponry for creating such an environment, let's talk about some of them, starting with insect deterrent trees.  The most well-known of the mosquito (and other insect) repelling tree is the Neem Tree.  It's a fast growing evergreen tree that grows tall.  It generally reaches maturity within ten years.  It is a good looking tree that resembles it's tree relative, the Chinaberry.  It's a bisexual tree that has wonderful drooping inflorescence  white flowers, and a olive shaped drupe fruit.  It is also easily grown from seed.

In terms of being a mosquito and insect barrier tree, the shade giving Neem tree is versatile in its uses.  You'll want to carefully consider planting location since this tree will long outlive you, with a lifespan of one-hundred and fifty to two-hundred years.  Consider placing a Neem tree approximately six feet from every entrance to your home for optimum insect control near where people and pets would be going in and out.  Neem trees thrive in morning sun sites.  You can also plant them 13 feet x 6 1/2 feet apart if planting as a windbreak or fence line; or no closer than 6 1/2 feet apart to another neem tree.  Neem trees like well drained and sandy soils but can thrive under a variety of conditions.  It's not for climates whose weather falls below 39 degrees F and is best in tropical or semi-tropical regions.   It will not tolerate over-watering.

Aside from indirectly interrupting the mosquito and other insect life cycles, the Neem tree causes the a number of insects to starve and prevents egg hatching.  So it's also useful against ants, beetles, grasshoppers, aphids, aphids, locusts, fruit flies, scale, spider mites, and other leaf hoppers.  It's leaves can be harvested and used in the garden as fertilizer and natural insect control.  The dried leaves can be placed in cupboards, drawers, in clothes, in stored grains and rice -- all deter insects indoors.  Burning the leaves will quickly chase off mosquitoes and this insect control is useful for before a large party or outdoor event.

The Wax Myrtle Tree/Shrub 

Another good mosquito repelling tree choice is the wax myrtle which can be grown as a tree or as a shrub.  Wax Myrtles are perfect for patios, children's play areas, outdoor seating areas, and picnic areas.  They make wonderful hedges for screening off such areas.  

The Cadaga Tree and The Mindanao Gum Tree

If your property is large and you enjoy attracting wildlife, also consider planting a Cadaga Tree or the Mindanao Gum Tree.  Both are very tall trees meant for full sun to partial shade or full sun.  Both are great landscaping additions in addition to mosquito control. However, these trees won't just grow anywhere, so unless you live in Hawaii or Australia, they may not be your best choice.

The Red-Flowering Gum Tree

If you are seeking a dramatic garden or landscaping tree that is also mosquito control, consider the Red-Flowering Gum Tree.  It's very drought tolerant.  It has wonderful fragrant, dramatic in bloom, and also attracts wildlife while repelling insects.  

The Osage Orange Tree

This great small to medium dioecious tree will require planting at least two, one female and one male.  Native to Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, the Osage Orange Tree is valued for easy transplant, tolerance of poor soils, tolerance of extreme heat, and strong winds.  This is the perfect living fence that is also a mosquito and insect controller.  When pruned into a hedge it is virtually impenetrable by livestock and other critters.

Other Mosquito Tree and Shrub Choices

There are a number of insect repellant trees to consider in your initial garden or landscaping design.  Among them are:  Camphor Tree, Sassafras Tree, Silver Dollar Tree, Tauroniro Tree, Tea Tree, and Cedar Trees.  Each of them should be looked at to see if they fit in your garden design.   Don't forget to include shrub and bushes that mosquitoes don't like, such as the:  American Beauty Berry, Sagebrush, Snowbush, Ash Juniper, and Wormwood.

Herbs As Repellants

Every good gardener or cook loves an herb garden.  Besides planting your favorite herbs, try adding:  basil, bee balm (horse mint), dill, fever tea, rosemary, garlic, oregano, peppermint, clove, lemon thyme, and vanilla leaf as still another layer of natural insecticide.  They also work in your flower gardens for added interest visually too.

Garden Plants As Natural Insecticides

Think about designing your garden with an abundance of marigolds (French, Mexican, Pot Marigolds, or African) in all hues of glorious color.  Add other plants like: Lavender, Ageratum, Lemon Scented Verbena, Pitcher Plants, Citrosa, Chrysanthemums, Common Lantana, Sweet Ferns, and the Pyrethrum Daisy.   They also make great companion plants in your vegetable garden.

Now, more than ever children need a garden.  Every child should have a garden regardless of whether they live in the urban city, the suburbs, or out in the country.  Preparing the soil, sowing the seed, planting a plant, and caring for the growing plant all go towards making up a fun experience which leads to a realization of oneness with Mother Nature more than any other activity in childhood, except perhaps that of having a pet.  Through the experience of creating a children's garden any child can explore and understand that without gardens, we'd all be living in caves, dangerously gathering chance fruits, nuts, grains and perhaps barely surviving on the capture and killing of small animals.  Only by gardening with children, can you teach that we need to work in cooperation with nature.  This is what helps define us differently from most other creatures on this earth.

A children's garden is a laboratory where a child can study the phenomena of plant life, along with the interdependence of plant, insect, and animal life.  After seeing the development of seed into plant, your child can watch flowers unfold.  They can learn that bright petals attract certain insects which carry the pollen which insures fertile seed, and the promise of future harvests.  Moreover, your child in the garden will become aware of the ravages of harmful insects, which, in their own struggle for existence wreck havoc among planted crops and call for various earth friendly protective or curative measures.  Additionally, they will learn about beneficial insects who are the garden's friend and their human friends.  They will also learn to cherish their new friends the toads and harmless snakes, and get the connection between birds, who also materially aide in the balance of nature.

Ideally, your child's first garden should be a small piece of land where they can make it their own.  However, realistically given that many families don't have that kind of outdoor space, a children's garden can also be easily done on the patio, porch, or in containers  Even apartment families can find a little gardening space on a balcony, rooftop, or common space outdoors.  If that isn't possible look into free community gardens as an option.

Start budding an interest in gardening with a practice garden when your child is very young.  Let them grow easily-handled bulbs, like the Paper-white Narcissus, Daffodils, Hyacinth, or Amaryllis.  Their fragrant blooms are pretty much guaranteed success and that's an important "first" psychologically.  This way your child won't get discouraged at too young of an age, if they don't produce the desired results.  This is a great tool for teaching a child to look ahead and wait patiently.  Waiting is often very hard for children in an age of virtually surrounded in constant instant gratification.  This is a life experience tool that will last them a lifetime.

While you are waiting for them to grow and bloom is a good time to spend some quality time encouraging your child in drawing pictures of what they did, how the child took care of them, and what they think they will look like and finally what they actually look like when they bloom.  Let your child take pictures of their garden to show others and look at long after the bloom is gone.  It's also good to give them their own garden gloves, garden hats, and set of plastic garden hand tools and make use of any wagon they might have.  

Don't make the mistake of thinking that creating a child's first garden has to be done entirely with seed.  A few easily grown and low care perennials such as:  Coneflowers, Hostas, Peonies, Asters, Forget-me-nots, Daisys, and English Lavender, are just a few of the choices.  Straight from your nearest garden center or nursery, these choices are ones that can be easily planted and care for by any young or older child.

Be sure to include easy to grow vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, radishes.  It is good to include easy to grow herbs, such as:  basil, dill, cilantro, and parsley.  The rewards of growing such vegetables and herbs will bring your child to understanding how certain foods get to the table.  Tomato plants already started are a delight to young minds, as are growing watermelons and pumpkins.  

It's simple to show a child how to plant each kind of seed, explaining that the seeds will grow into plants, and showing them the proper depths so that they won't be disappointed.  After seeding explain the need for thinning and weeding and demonstrate ways to care for their little baby plants.  A sense of joyful achievements found in gardening will add to your child's self-esteem and hopefully lead to a permanent link to nature and a love of gardening.

Great Sources For Getting Started In Teaching Gardening To Children:

Kids Gardening

Missouri Botanical Garden

There are those among us that even think that bees are harmful to plants and gardens.  These are the misinformed, because a world without bees -- one we are rapidly approaching if mankind is not careful -- is going to be life altering for the majority of us, especially to our pockets. 

Bees Are Not Harmful to Your Lovely Garden

The life career and very lives of bees is devoted to one cause -- storing up nectar to make honey.  Visiting flower after flower they are constantly brushing against, first, the stamens (male plant organs) of one blossom and then the pistil (female plant organs) of another flower.  from the former they pick up on their body or legs a sprinkling of pollen which they later carry to and deposit upon the stigma (sticky tip) of the second flower's pistil.  Thing brings about the pollination or fertilization of the second flower and results in the development of seed or fruit.  Without this miracle of nature mankind's diet would be sharply limited to say the least.

Given the numbers of ceaseless activity of bees -- both wild and domesticated -- the service they unintentionally render to the world becomes one of the most important factors in the production of good crops in orcharding, gardening, and the home garden.  Just think, without bees we would not enjoy apples, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons (especially watermelons), pears, and on and on.   

Honeybee Facts

When you consider the astounding honeybee fact that one pound of honey takes the nectar of 8.7 million flowers and combine it with the other mind boggling fact that honey bee hives produce on average seventy pounds of honey each week -- the old time saying:  "busy as a bee," takes on a whole new set of dimensions.

Here are some other honeybee facts: 

• Honeybees have their own language. 
• Honeybees dance for their companions to indicate the location of food. 
• Honeybee queens decide the sex of their eggs. 
• Honeybee males (drones) have only one purpose in life (to mate). 
• Female honeybees eventually kill the males. 
• There are different races of honeybees and each has its own distinct dialect.
• Each honeybee species has its own unique disposition.

Eye On Life Magazine's Favorite Honey Beverage

Easy Spiced Honeybee Milk Cooler

Ingredients:

1 cup of milk

1 tablespoon of local honey

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of finely grated ginger

1/3 cup crushed ice

Instructions: 

Place all ingredients in blender or Magic Bullet and mix thoroughly.  Serve cold over the crushed ice.  Makes one serving.

Among the most beloved of easy to grow flowers, zinnias, rank high on desirable flowers both for the garden and for using in floral arrangements.  When German botanist, Johann Gottfried Zinn first described the Zinnia, little did he know that this quaint Mexican wildflower wasn't a stranger to Europeans.  It had actually been discovered by Spanish explorers over 150 years before.  They were thought so homely as a flower that they even had their own nickname - Mal de ojos  - Sickness of the eye.  The natives thought them an eyesore, not a plant of beauty.

Zinnias are one of the plant species that have evolved far from what they once were when first discovered.  The original Mexican species that Zinn first described (z. elegans), were spindly not very attractive plants, although unique.  The now twenty some varieties that are popular today, are much more spectacular.  They are divided according to height into "Tall" (30 inches or more) to "Medium" (to 20 inches) to "Dwarf" (from twelve to fifteen inches).  Zinnias are further divided into subcategories of:  quilled, twisted, and the ever popular double.

Growth Guide For Growing Zinnias

Generally, zinnas are grown from seed and in more northern states usually started in flats indoors near the end of March.  Some gardeners prefer to start them outdoors later in the annual season. 

The tall varieties of zinnias should be placed about two feet apart.  The medium varieties of zinnias should be about a foot apart.   All zinnias grow best in light well fertilized soil and always in full sun.   

Feed and Care of Zinnias 

If you want the largest and best looking zinnias in town, then you will want to feed your zinnias about every three weeks without fail.  This will give you larger and more perfect zinnias.  Remember. all varieties of zinnias bloom from early summer to late fall (first hard frost).  This is the reason for their continued great popularity among home gardeners.   

Zinnias and Leaf Diseases

The only negative any gardener will have to say about zinnias is that they are prone to leaf diseases, especially in late season.  Powdery mildew, leaf spot,. leaf blight, and mosaic are typical zinnia leaf problems.  A lot depends on how much rain you get during the summer months.  Leaf problems will not affect the beauty of your zinnias though.

The wetter your climate, the more you will have problems with zinnia leaf diseases.  All of these are easily controllable.  However, with the mosaic you should always remove and burn any mottled leaves to prevent spreading. 

Buri Palm (Corypha)

This huge fan-leaved palm is only found in tropical Asia. It is primarily found in:

• India
• Malaysia
• Indonesia
• Philippines
• New Guinea
• Australia (northeastern)

The leaves alone can be as big as nine feet in diameter. The edible part of this palm is found in the pithy portion of trunk in the form of starch. However, due to the fact that the outer shell is thick and hard, it is difficult to obtain.

The good news is that the sap is sugary and the buds are edible.  Other uses for the Buri palm, is in its leaves and leaf stem fibers, which have in past years been used for making cord, fishing line, and rope. It is also used in making:

• Attache cases
• Bags
• Decorative pillows
• Hats
• Screen dividers
• Slippers
• Table accessories
• Wall paper
• Window blinds 

A Warning and a Few Thoughts!

First A Warning! -- The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. Be sure you have properly identified a wild edible plant BEFORE you consume it. Remember that some palms, like the Sago palm have look-a-likes, that are poisonous.  Additionally, you can be allergic to some edible plants, just like you can be allergic to foods that others can consume safely. If you at all unsure, just eat a little at first.

Bottom line -- you are 100% responsible for proper plant identification, and thoroughly researching the plant you are considering eating.  Finally -- I'm not advocating you kill a palm tree just to experience eating one. I'm much more interested in opening closed food minds, into being knowledgeable about foods that aren't generally found on the shelves of our generic American grocery stores. Also, remember in terms of a plant being edible, that doesn't always translate to a plant tasting good. 

The Sugar palm, scientifically named Arenga,is a common palm in throughout Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Usually, it is found more interior than other types of palms. It grows typically to around thirty-five feet and has a dense top of crown leaves. It is known by a variety of local names:

• Arenga palm
• Areng palm
• Black fiber palm
• Gomuti palm
• Aren
• Irok
• Kaong

The terminal bud is considered edible, but should only be eaten with caution and as a last resort. The most edible part of this palm is the sugary sap, which can be collected by butting the flower spikes. The mature fruits are often canned. However, the raw juice and pulp are acidic and burning, and should not be consumed without cooking.

In some parts of the world it is considered rare, but not endangered. However, it is an important food source for endangered species. In India, it is a sugar known as gur, and also made into both vinegar and wines. Another use of the Sugar palm is ethanol. Additionally, the black fibrous portion of the base of the leaf stalk can make an excellent material for fishing lines and cord.​

A Warning and a Few Thoughts!

First A Warning! -- The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. Be sure you have properly identified a wild edible plant BEFORE you consume it. Remember that some palms, like the Sago palm have look-a-likes, that are poisonous.  Additionally, you can be allergic to some edible plants, just like you can be allergic to foods that others can consume safely. If you at all unsure, just eat a little at first.

Bottom line -- you are 100% responsible for proper plant identification, and thoroughly researching the plant you are considering eating.  Finally -- I'm not advocating you kill a palm tree just to experience eating one. I'm much more interested in opening closed food minds, into being knowledgeable about foods that aren't generally found on the shelves of our generic American grocery stores. Also, remember in terms of a plant being edible, that doesn't always translate to a plant tasting good.

​

Just like everything you "need" is found within you, much of what you "need" to sustain you as a food source -- "lays in waiting" in your personal environment, no matter where in the world you live.  In the Western world, particularly in the United States, many of us see food daily and don't recognize it. Such is the case, in the warmer climate portions of the U.S. -- where palm trees are standard landscaping decoration, very few people will recognize them as a food source.

So popular are they, that in some states, there is a chronic problem of thefts of palm trees. Palm trees come with hefty price tags and the temptation to steal them and resell them, is a big underground business. Living in Central Florida, this phenomenon is not unusual.  Palm trees also have a surprise, because many of them are edible food sources both in times of emergency, and as a daily food source outside of the U.S. It's time to take a new look at one of earth's most recognizable trees.

The Incredibly Edible Palm

For those of you who don't know, most of the palm trees seen here, are not native to the state of Florida. It's also not well known that not all palm trees are "trees," as some are cycads. Since both of these points aren't well known facts, it stands to reason that most people do not know that tropical plant foods, including palm trees -- are great sources of edible plant foods. If you live in an area where palm trees are found, you will not have to worry about starving in a time of disaster.

Ask most people about palm trees and they'll also tell you that coconuts grow on them. A few may concede that dates grow on palm trees. The average American, however, hasn't got a clue as to what other palm trees are edible, or how many different types of palm trees exist. Nor, can they tell you what the various non-food uses are of the palm. I have deliberately not included a discussion of Coconut palms, Cabbage palms, or Date palms in this this article. It's time to broaden some food horizons.

Palms are native throughout the tropical world, and generally are found in the most numbers around the equator. They grow in all sorts of areas, vary in that they can vary in variety from tall trees to merely shrubs and vines. Now, maybe some of you are thinking everyone knows palm trees have edible fruit, they have coconuts. While true, the coconut palm isn't the only incredibly edible palm.

While it isn't likely that any of us will be stranded on a tropical island, it is important to know that in a matter of survival, palms are one of the best sources of plant food for the inexperienced individual seeking food. Palms contain drinkable sap, and have edible fruits. Additionally, the buds or starchy cores within many of the trunks are also excellent food sources.  Almost without exception, the terminal bud or growing point of most palms is edible either cooked or raw.

To locate the terminal bud, simply look on the tip of the trunk, and you'll see that it is enclosed by the frown of leaves or sheathing at the base of the leaf stem. The rule of thumb is that they are completely edible as long as they don't taste bitter.  Like many plants and trees, the sap of palms is both drinkable and nourishing. Additionally, the fruits of palms of many are completely edible, but it is important to understand that the fruits of some palms are not edible -- learn the difference.

One important thing to remember is that palms have a tremendous amount of starch stored in their trunks.  Another key fact, however, is that without an axe or machete, this food source is almost unobtainable or at least very difficult.  In an emergency, these facts should not deter you.​

Nipa Palm (Nipa fruiticans)

Among the most important tropical palm fruits to know is the Nipa Palm.  Outside the Western world it is widely known.  Here in the United States, hardly anyone knows what delightful food source the Nipa plam is.  

The Nipa palm looks like a stemless coconut palm. It has long leaves rising in typical palm like tufts from the root stock  It grows to be about fifteen feet tall. In bloom, it has short, erect flowers that have a cluster of seeds that are also edible while young and tender. They are said to taste somewhat like coconut meat.  Like many plants, the Nipa palm has a variety of local "names" -- so depending on where in the world you are, you may find it called:

• Attap Palm (Singapore)
• Nipa Palm (Philippines)
• Mangrove Palm (Indonesia and Malaysia)
• Dừa Nuớc (Vietnam)
• Gol Pata (Bangladesh)

Note: Other spellings Nipah and Nypa.

This type of palm is found growing only in brackish waters, mangrove swamps, and tidal marshes. The flower stems provide an edible food source of sugary sap. The cabbage of this palm is completely safe to eat.​

Other Uses of the Nipa Palm

There are many other uses and things to know about the Nipa Palm, some of them are:

A Warning and a Few Thoughts!

First A Warning! -- The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. Be sure you have properly identified a wild edible plant BEFORE you consume it. Remember that some palms, like the Sago palm have look-a-likes, that are poisonous.  Additionally, you can be allergic to some edible plants, just like you can be allergic to foods that others can consume safely. If you at all unsure, just eat a little at first.

Bottom line -- you are 100% responsible for proper plant identification, and thoroughly researching the plant you are considering eating.  Finally -- I'm not advocating you kill a palm tree just to experience eating one. I'm much more interested in opening closed food minds, into being knowledgeable about foods that aren't generally found on the shelves of our generic American grocery stores. Also, remember in terms of a plant being edible, that doesn't always translate to a plant tasting good.​​

Sago palms are the most like palm to be found here in Florida and many other parts of the world, especially the lowlands of Malaysia and throughout Southeast Asia. They are generally found in fresh water swamps, along streams, likes and rivers.  That said, it is absolutely important for you to understand that there are two types of Sago palms. One is edible and the other is poisonous. First, let's talk about the one that is edible. It is the Sago palm, known scientifically as Metroxylon.

Like most palms, this kind of Sago palm contains starch in mature trees that are not flowering. Since getting at the sap would involve cutting down the palm, it is only recommended for a food source in an emergency. To do so, the palm would be:

• Cut down
• The outside hard shell removed
• Core is then sliced into small fragments
• Then boil these or wrap them in leaves and bake
• Chew the starch out

Additionally, the pith can be made into a flour by crushing it, washing and straining it through cloth to remove the fiber.  The terminal bud, like in many palms can be cooked and eaten. Also, from this type of Sago palm, a flour is made that is pure carbohydrate, with very little other nutritional value.

Generally, it is a baked food in the form of a bread, a paste, or a pancake. Some make a plum pudding from it, some cooks use it as a gravy thickener. In Asia and India, Pearl sago is made from it. and it is popular for use in many recipes.​

Other Uses of the Sago Palm

• Traditional Maluku houses are primarily made from sago palms.
• The fronds are used to make walls.
• The midribs are used for making brooms.
• The midribs are used for making baskets.
• The bark is woven into mats.
• It is used in the textile industry to strength other materials​

Sago Palms (Cycas revoluta) -- Highly Poisonous

The other Sago palm, the highly poisonous variety scientifically known as Cycas revoluta, is the most common Sago palm sold in the U.S. This palm is actually a cycad. Cycads are evergreen seed plants, with a large crown of compound leaves and fat trunks. They are often mistaken for palms.  The seeds are highly toxic and the rest of the plant is also not safe to eat. Many dogs have died from chewing on this plant across America.  Be aware of this because they are a popular landscaping plant in Southern states, especially Florida.

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A Warning and a Few Thoughts!

First A Warning! -- The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. Be sure you have properly identified a wild edible plant BEFORE you consume it. Remember that some palms, like the Sago palm have look-a-likes, that are poisonous.  Additionally, you can be allergic to some edible plants, just like you can be allergic to foods that others can consume safely. If you at all unsure, just eat a little at first.

Bottom line -- you are 100% responsible for proper plant identification, and thoroughly researching the plant you are considering eating.  Finally -- I'm not advocating you kill a palm tree just to experience eating one. I'm much more interested in opening closed food minds, into being knowledgeable about foods that aren't generally found on the shelves of our generic American grocery stores. Also, remember in terms of a plant being edible, that doesn't always translate to a plant tasting good.​

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Mention Chinese medicine and plants that make them to anyone today, especially in Western countries, and visions of acupuncture are the first thing that springs to mind for most people.  The truth is, Chinese medicine is so much more. Even more true, is the fact that Chinese medicine very often surpasses and is the foundation for Western medical practices.

Since practically the beginning of time, if it could be said that one culture literally wrote the book on herbalism -- only the Chinese could claim the prize of having the longest unbroken belief and traditions in herbal medicine.  It has always seems odd to me that the herbal medicine practices of Asian cultures, should be considered alternative medicine,while today's science of synthetic drugs (Western medicine) should be the standard.

Chinese Medicine

Roughly three thousand years ago, it is recorded history that the Chinese knew about three hundred different plants for herbal medicine. By then, they had already recorded descriptions of the plants, how to preserve them, and how to administer them correctly, all according to Chinese medicine practices of the time.  The wondrous thing is that many of these practices are still in use today and make up the foundation of herbal medicine as we now know it.

Let's Take A Look At How Chinese Medicine in History

The Emperor Shen Nung (2698 B.C.)

The Emperor Shen Nung was a big fan or perhaps the "father" of Chinese medicine. He had the Canon of Herbs written, recording in precise detail three hundred and sixty-five plants, minerals, and animals. He further described how to preserve them for medicinal use, along with details on how to administer them.

The Canon of Herbs, is also known as the Shen-nung pen ts'ao ching (Divine Husbandman's Materia Medica), Legend has it, that he wrote it, but who actually penned his body of work is unknown.  One thing is certain, this Father of Chinese medicine is also introduced the technique of acupuncture to the common people of China.

Futhermore, He didn't just trust his theories and beliefs and the testing of them to others, he personally is said to have tasted at least one hundred of these traditional Chinese medicines.  He was quite a busy Emperor, because he additionally taught his people how to cultivate grains as food, solely for the purpose of killing less animals.

Haung Ti - The Yellow Emperor (2550 B.C.)

One hundred years after Emperor Shen Nung, Emperor Huang Ti (aka the Yellow Emperor) developed a central theory that in Chinese medicine that really understood human disease far better than any other culture during that time.

This one quote from his Nei Ching says it all:

"In treating illness, it is necessary to examine the entire context, scrutinize the symptoms, observe the emotions, and attitudes. If one insists on the presence of ghosts and spirits one cannot speak of therapeutics."

This optimistic viewpoint in his book, shows what today we know as, holistic medicine, being a concept a few thousand years old. The book was popular, even being updated in the 6th century, and then again in the 7th century.  The works also went into introduction to the then known concepts about living matter, medical physiology, uses of plants, known anatomy, and developments in acupuncture.

Su Jing

In the 7th century, a young man named Su Jing, went to the Tang Dynasty and asked for sponsorship to revised and update Emperor Huang Ti's Nei Ching. The court was so intrigued that it provided him with twenty experts to give him input, documentation, and even illustrations of useful herbs that they knew.  Two years later, the result was A Revised Canon of Herbs being published. When you think about it, this was an amazing feat because this was over eight hundred years before the Western printing press was invented -- the Tang Dynasty, not only printed it, they distributed it throughout China.

Li Shizhen (Li Shih-chen) - 1518 to 1593

The well-known Ming Dynasty (1368 AD to 1644 AD) produced another great Chinese medicine work, written by Li Shih-chen. It was titled, Pen ts'ao kang mu (The Great Herbal). It took him twenty-seven years to write this book. It is a practical and scientific manual with over eleven thousand recipes or compounds from plants.

Here was a man who was very determined from childhood as he helped his father collect herbs and copy prescriptions.  Inside it, is pretty much the sum total of herbal medicine known at the time. It contains descriptions of over eighteen hundred plants, animal parts, minerals, and metals that made up Chinese medicine for the time. The best part of Li Shih-chen's body of work in Chinese medicine is the fact that it is so revered, that it is updated and revised still to this day.

Chang Chung-ching - The Physician

Another important herbalist, during the time of the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) one practitioner of Chinese medicine, stands far above the rest -- Chang Chung-ching. He was considered the greatest physician of his era. He would forever go down in Chinese history as the Hippocrates of China.  He wrote Shang han lun (Treatise on Colds and Fevers), which profoundly affected Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine

A Few Words of Caution

There is a misguided notion among some people, that just because something is natural, like herbs made from plants -- that it is somehow safer. The truth is that plants can be very potent drugs and sometimes can even be deadly.  An equally important truth, is that synthesized drugs made from isolated plant principles are all around us in today's drugs. Two examples are:

• Aspirin
• Morphine

Just like synthetic drugs, the correct and accurate dosage of herbs, should never be taken in excessive amounts. It is also important just like you should always consult a doctor if you have a serious or recurring complaint, or doubts, you should also consult a trained herbalist.

Many berries in more northern climates, including currants, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are found along timbered regions, bogs, hillsides, and along streams. Look for berries along these areas.

There are seven basic berries in far northern climates to look for, when it comes to edible food sources, they are:

Blueberries-- Native to the United States, blueberries are easily recognizable and where they grow wild, often abundant. Their fruit may be found May through October. The Philippine Blueberry (Vaccinium) variety is also a good food source. Blueberries are not native to Australia.

Cranberries -- Available mid September through December, cranberries come from a variety of small, dwarf sized evergreen shrubs or trailing vines. They are found in bogs in Arctic regions. Their flowers are dark pink with very unique petals. The blooms are a major honey-bee magnet. The fruit is the edible part. If it is white, it is not ripe. Look for dark red berries.

Crowberry-- This small evergreen health like plant has brownish black berries that are single seeded, juicy and sweet. Usually, you'll find them on bushes in the winter. They are circumpolar distributed globally.

Currants -- There are many types of currants, all of which grow on deciduous shrubs. One thing they all have in common is that they are multiple-stemmed clumping plants. They can grow to about four to five feet talk. The fruits can be red, black, green, or yellow, depending on the variety. They are a good source of Vitamin C and other important minerals.

Raspberries -- Like the cranberry, raspberries are major honey bee magnets. These bushes are quite invasive in areas where they grow, if left unattended by man. Since they are tremendously healthy, they are a very desirable berry to look for as an emergency food source. Traditionally, most Americans think of them as being red. However, their fruits can be red, black, purple, or a beautiful yellow. The leaves are also edible and make a fine tea.

Salmon-berry-- Of all the berries in the far north, the Salmon-berry is the most important nutritionally. Like the Crowberry, it is circumpolar in distribution globally. It's fruit looks very much like a yellow colored raspberry. The Salmon-berry grows close to the ground and where found, can cover acres. Of course, the berries are available in the summer, but you can probably still find them frozen on the stalks in the winter and early spring. Eat these raw, however, they taste better cooked.

Strawberries -- Called the world's most favorite fruit, these berries need no descriptors to most peoples. Like the raspberry, the fruits can be found in a variety of colors, primarily red and golden. In the wild, strawberries are very small fruits. Think of them as a dessert, as it will take many to satisfy hunger.

Note of caution: Remember that in the wild, other mammals, specifically bears, are also seeking the same food sources.

Edible wild plants are simply “laying in waiting” in your environment, no matter where in the world you are -- everything you need to sustain you, in times of food emergencies is there simply for the harvesting. Far north plant foods (Arctic zone) are unique in this factor, because as you travel farther north or south on from earth’s equator -- everything changes dramatically, in terms of how the plant food chain works.

Disease transmitting insects, parasites, diseases, poisonous snakes, plants and animals decline as physical hazards such as snow and cold increase. Trees become scattered and stunted, finally giving way to tundra, grasses, and seas of ice. Obviously, food in the form of plant life grows less abundant, while at the same time -- the body’s needs in terms of nourishment increases in it’s effort to keep warm.

In an emergency situation, living off the land in these regions becomes progressively more tricky, but not impossible. In general, the plants of the arctic zone and of the sub-Arctic forests, are circumpolar in earth’s distribution -- so living off the land will basically be the same through these global areas. Furthermore, in high mountain areas below these regions, the same rules apply and the same food sources can usually be found.

Simply put, the plant food sources you can expect to find, will be much the same in Alaska, Northern Canada, Labrador, Greenland, Northern Europe, Iceland, northern China and northeastern Russia. Keep in mind that although plant food sources are available in these regions, it is not always readily available. Vegetation can be scarce and scattered, however, can be most ample along the banks of lakes and rivers. Also remember, Arctic fruits ripen only during a very short summer period.

Far North Plant Life

Like anywhere else in the world, in the summer there is not real problem finding plant food. Even in the winter berries and roots are usually available beneath the snow, if you know where to look for them.  Unlike, anywhere else in the world, Arctic and subarctic regions are uniquely "safe" in terms of the plants not likely to be poisonous. Actually, there is only one real plant that is seriously a poisonous plant in the Arctic, and that is the water hemlock.

The only other plants you need to look out for and avoid like the plague, are buttercups and Amanitas (mushrooms), as both will not necessarily kill you (with some varieties and small amounts), but will make you very sick with long lasting consequences.  While many mushrooms are edible wild food sources, they are best left for selection by the mushroom experts. Alone in the wilderness is no time for experimentation.

Many mushrooms are edible and a familiar food source to most humans. However, no mushrooms should be tried, unless you are sure of its identity, as some varieties are dangerously poisonous. The most widespread among the dangerously poisonous mushrooms are the Amanitas, which are somewhat easy to identify because:

Don't Overlook Trees As A Food Source

Have You Had Your Daily Quota of Bark or Buds?

My Grandpere taught us early that whatever other mammals eat, is probably safe for humans to eat, at least when it came to the bark and the buds of plants. For instance, both the bark and the bud of aspen trees can be eaten raw or cooked. Now, they taste better when boiled into a jello-like gruel, but they can sustain life.

Consider, that the buds of the following trees are edible:

• Basswood
• Popular
• Maple

Likewise, the shoots of the following trees are edible:

• Spruce
• Tamarack

Then, there is the highly edible bark of the:

• Willow
• Alder
• Hemlock
• Basswood
• Birch
• Some pines (Scotch pine of northern Europe and Asia, also lodge-pole or shore pines of North America)

The inner bark is edible from virtually all trees and can be eaten raw or cooked. A long time ago during famines, people even made bread from flour gotten from the bark of trees.

The most important thing to know about eating bark is that it's the thin, green, outer bark and the white, inside bark that are edible. Stay away from bark that is brown, as it contains too much tannin. Another tip is that with pines, the park is scraped away and the inner-most bark stripped from the trunk can be eaten fresh, dried, or cooked. Most desirable bark as a food source in terms of taste is in the spring when bark is newly formed.

Lastly, do not forget that the leaves of certain trees can be eaten when boiled, some of these are:

• Mountain sorrel
• Willows (young, not mature)
• Fireweed

Ask any child or adult to draw or color a strawberry and you'll get the stereotype "red" strawberry. They will never think of the "other strawberry" - the "white" or sometimes called "golden" variety of strawberries. White strawberries are not some new variety. In fact, throughout history, white strawberries have been depicted in art.

Our Victorian great grandmothers certainly knew about them. Several of our early Presidents were great aficionados of these delicate strawberries. Thomas Jefferson experimented with White Alpine Strawberries in his gardens.

These tiny strawberries are more commonly known as the Alpine Strawberry. The scientific name is Fragaria vesca. Other names for them are: fraises des bois and the woodland strawberry. Not only do they look different, but the difference in taste is amazing. Once you've tasted one, you'll never forget the difference between that and it's red strawberry cousins.

Furthermore, they have a distinctive aroma. They are of course, a wild type of strawberry that was bred in 18th century Europe, by crossing the American wild strawberry with a wild Chilean one

White Alpine Strawberry Attributes and Considerations:

• These strawberries can and should be grown by seed.
• Unlike most strawberry plants, they do not send out runners.
• They are as easy to grow as regular strawberries.
• If purchased as plants, these strawberries can initially be a little more expensive. However, take heart - they are hardy perennials that will thrive for years.
• Unlike most strawberry varieties, they will tolerate shade.
• These strawberries make a nice ornamental landscaping touch to any walkway, herb garden, or flower bed.
• This type of strawberry makes nice ground-covers.
• The White Alpine Strawberry are a "must have" ingredient for any gourmet cook.
• Individuals who are allergic to red strawberries, sometimes do not have any problem with white or golden strawberries. The recommended variety of allergen free white strawberry is the "Sofar."
• White Alpine Strawberries are ever bearing plants.
• Their strawberry variety taste could be described as having a slight pineapple flavor and a stronger strawberry flavor.
• They will cross pollinate with red strawberries and revert to red if allowed.
• Do not pick White Alpine strawberries until fully ripe.
• These strawberries are a hardy, small strawberry.
• This variety of strawberry enjoys an acidic soil.
• This variety of strawberry does not do well in humid weather.
• White Alpine strawberries are a source of natural bleach that some have used to whiten teeth.
• These strawberries are a folk remedy for bleaching out sun spots.
• This variety of strawberry is a folk remedy for treating gastritis and other ailments, especially stomach upsets.
• White Alpine strawberry leaves are a folk remedy for making an anti-diarrhea tea.
• As with any variety of strawberry, they are a good source of Vitamin C.

Propagation - Key to Patience

As stated above, White Alpine strawberries are not propagated by sending out runners. Since in the wild, they reseed themselves, and if you live in a colder climate that gets at least some freezes -- all that is required is to leave some of the fruits on the plants. However, if you live in a warmer climate, you can save the seeds, and simply freeze them for about six weeks.

Remember too, that the seeds are very slow to germinate, it make take almost three weeks before you see your first glimmer of germination. It might take a month before you truly know how successful your efforts are. These are incredibly small seeds. One technique that I use is the "jello" seed technique, as it seems to net me more strawberry plants. (See sidebar).

It's also important to remember that the first year, you will get a disappointing number of berries. Don't take that to heart, it's the second year berries that you'll be celebrating over. Once your strawberries are established you can use a second common method of propagation -- that of dividing up the rooted strawberry plants into sections, and replanting them.

When your seedlings come up they will be cute little folded-umbrella like leaves. In your first season of growing White Alpine strawberries, thin your germinating seeds out to about the healthiest looking ones, spacing them about three inches apart. Then, when you are ready to transplant them, put them first into individual pots for about six weeks before you intend to permanently plant them.

Some growing aficionados of this strawberry like to nab the little buds and discard them the first year -- this ensures that the plants concentrate on growing, rather than fruiting. Wait for the flowers to come out a second time, which will only be another month or so. The dainty little flowers are white with yellow centers -- the centers are what will become your strawberries.

The berries are ripe when the seeds turn brown and the berries have developed a sweet aroma. Another key to their ripeness is that ripe berries will easily detach from the stem, unripe berries will be a little more stubborn. If you want more fruit, you must harvest the ripened berries as the season goes along, in order for this perennial plant to continue putting out more berries.

The Controversy Over White Alpine Strawberry Attractiveness

There are many who will go on and on about how these delicious berries are not attractive to birds. Well, maybe, maybe not when it comes to birds. However, anyone who lives in a more rural atmosphere will know that they are just as delicious to other kinds of wildlife, as they are to us humans. That shouldn't deter you from planting them, just know

Jell-o Seeding Technique for Tiny Strawberry Seeds

It's always tricky to deal with tiny seeds, like tomato, celery, and strawberry seeds. They can also be slow to germinate. One technique that is commonly used in reseeding bare spots in lawns, also works with tiny strawberry seeds. Jell-0 can come to your rescue, if you are the sort who is sort on patience, have low vision, or poor soil!

Directions for seed germination jello seed starter:

• Mix one package of jello with cool (not cold or hot) water by gradually adding water to the mix until it's more of a sauce-like consistency (6 oz. package).
• It does not matter what flavor.
• Add two tablespoons of strawberry seeds to the mixture and stir thoroughly
• Pour mixture into a zip lock baggie (you can also use a cake icing decorating bag)
• If using the zip lock bag, cut a small 1/4" diagonal slot in one of the bottom corners
• Squeeze and release the mixture from your bag into the your germination bed or pan
• Apply in even rows allowing for run off, so about 1/2" to 1" apart

Why does it work? First, the jello will keep the seeds from being started too close together, and from being started too deep or too shallow. Next, the gelatin speeds up germination. Finally, the gelatin feeds the strawberry seeds and soil.

White Alpine Strawberries - Cajun Style

  Medicinal Uses of the White Alpine Strawberry

Cajun faith healers often employed the use of the White Alpine strawberry in their folk medicines.  No doubt these practices and ideas sprang from their Acadian ancestors, as it is reported that the French in the 13th century were using wild white strawberries for herbal remedies relating to digestion.  For Cajun traiteurs and traiteuse healers, the roots, leaves, and fruits of these strawberries had several uses. Common uses were:

• Digestive aids
• Skin potions
• Diarrhea
• Gout
• Sunburn
• Blemishes
• Whiten Teeth

White Alpine Strawberry Ice Cream Compote

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons natural brown sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon powdered pectin
• 2/3 cup white alpine strawberries (pureed)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/8 cup of fresh white alpine strawberries, hulled and finely diced
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 scoop French Vanilla Bean ice cream

Instructions:

• Thoroughly mix natural brown sugar, powdered pectin, pureed strawberries, cinnamon, and lemon juice in pan and simmer, stirring constantly
• Set aside to cool slightly
• Place 2 scoops ice cream in serving dish
• Add hulled and diced strawberries
• Pour cooled mixture over everything
• Serve immediately

Serves 2

There is a lot of joy in growing roses for the specific purpose of making your own floral waters and perfumes.  It is not the lost art of yesterday, but a new art of gardening for the modern woman.  Perhaps no other plant beside the rose, has more clout when it comes to sheer fragrance and beauty at the same time.  I often like to remind myself that it is said that Cleopatra seduced Antony, while Romans wore garlands of rose petals and decorated their homes with roses, and even Saladin washed the Omar mosque in rosewater.

Choosing the Most Fragrant of Roses

While almost all roses are sweet to the nose, when it comes to choosing which varieties of roses to grow to make your own floral rose waters or perfumes, there are some that are better than others.  Among my recommended favorites are:

• Mother's Love
• Valencia
• Icegirl
• Admiral Rodney
• Blue Moon

All of the above are not only fragrant, but also beautiful when bottled.  

Eau de Belle Rose

Ingredients:

• 3 fluid ounces ounces of ethyl alcohol
• 8 drops of rose
• 15 drops of lemon
• 8 drops of neroli
• 2 drops of mint
• 15 drops of rosemary
• two rose blooms stripped off the petals and torn into tiny pieces

Directions:

• Mix alcohol and all essential oils together
• 1/2 rose petal slightly mashed
• 1/2 rose petals left unmashed
• Store in secure or screw top bottle
• Always shake before use

Well, frankincense and myrrh are both dried tree sap resins, meaning that they come from trees whose common names are frankincense and myrrh.  Frankincense is genus  and myrrh is Commiphora..   Both are native to Yemen, Somalia and eastern Ethiopia.  It's believed that an ancient city in Southern Oman is where they were first traded. Back then, camel caravans traveled from Oman carrying these exceptionally rare resins to places throughout the Arabian Peninsula (all the way to Jerusalem).

They were considered so valuable that they were taxed at each place they passed through. The clearer and darker the resins, the higher the quality and price they fetched. By the time they reached Jerusalem, only the kings could afford them.  So for all time, the story of Jesus' birth, has wise men bringing frankincense and myrrh, along with gold as gifts for the infant.

Believe it or not, in time's past there were things more valuable than gold, silver, and even diamonds.  They were the items people coveted, and those who could afford them really wanted -- they were spices, medicinal remedies, and herbs.  Also, in the days before refrigeration and modern cookery, food was pretty bland without spices and herbs.

Additionally, cooks were on a quest to find ways to not only make food taste better, but to also preserve the food.  These herbs, medicinal plant remedies, and spices also held great opportunities to experiment with some real success, in folk medicine or natural cures.  There are many spices and herbs that are generally associated with the Christmas holiday that we've all heard of, but others many may not know much about.  So, let's explore some of the more popular Christmas Time herbs and the realities of growing your own.

Moreover, it was coveted for its sweet smell when burnt and in the days of no refrigeration and no air conditioning odors were somewhat problematic -- so this too was an important use.

Frankincense Tree

There was a time when frankincense was a most coveted resin of gum, primarily traded for its medicinal purposes because it was widely chewed for stomach ailments (but not swallowed).  Additionally, it was used by some to heal sores and wounds.   It had other uses as a resin and for religious purposes, but as a medicine it was important in its time and place.  

This deciduous tree is so small that it could almost be described as a shrub until full grown.  Its bark is very thin, almost paper like.   The leaves are compound, always with odd numbers of leaflets, attached in opposites, and when first sprouted the leaves are covered in a fine hair-like down.   It is a flowering tree, white with touches of yellow and it has a small fruit.

Habitat:  In the wild, it almost prefers the poorest of environments, often growing on steep mountainsides among rocks.  It is almost always found in desert type environments.

Myrrh Tree 

Although different in looks the myrrh tree is almost identical to frankincense in many features, at least in terms of its uses and habitat.  One important difference is in terms of the sweetness of how it smells in comparison to frankincense.   The sweet smell of myrrh is so over-powering that it has been used to mask the smell of death in rotting corpses

Like frankincense its sap bleeds a resin when wounded and it also produces a gum that is highly prized and perhaps more well-known for healing properties and uses among many.  It is even an ancient Chinese remedy.  There are over one hundred and thirty-five different species of myrrh trees.   And in contrast to the frankincense tree it is actually more of a shrub, although considered a tree.

Habitat:  The same habitat as for frankincense applies to myrrh.

USES FOR FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH

Used both in the past and today, both are frequent aromatherapy oils, valued for deeply meditative qualities.

In Oman today, frankincense is chewed to relieve indigestion and to make a paste for dry skin

In Egypt, charred frankincense was made into "kohl" (black powder), which Egyptian women traditionally used as eye shadow

Myrrh resins and tinctures are used for gum infections, coughs, and other respiratory problems

Myrrh is also an embalming ointment

Myrrh has been used as a toothache medicine for centuries

Myrrh is a common Chinese medicine for a variety of illnesses, including arthritist

There was a time in history when the whole world knew that carrots weren’t the familiar orange but the purple.  Purple carrots are known to have been relished and appreciated as far back as over five thousand years ago.  They are believed to be first cultivated by the Afghanistan peoples and were later known the Romans and then lost to obscurity, at least by Western standards until the 16th century.  In fact, they were so highly thought of not only as a food but also for other uses, that they were also the source of dyes for both Afganistan and Roman royalty.

Before we talk about purple carrots there is something about carrots everyone needs to understand -- while we refer to them as root vegetables, the fact is all carrots are Eurasian herbs, at least the wild ones are.

Additionally, there are a couple of secrets to know about purple carrots.  First of all, purple carrots are much sweeter tasting than orange carrots.  In fact, they are an ideal food due to the fact that it is not necessary to add sugar to them.  Many cooks feel the need to add sugar to carrots, especially in trying to get young children to eat their carrots.    With purple carrots this is no longer needed.  All carrots are among the healthiest foods to eat and grow and purple carrots are doubly so.  Secondly, they are better for your heart, your blood pressure, and your liver than almost any other root vegetable.

Orange carrots in contrast to purple carrots, didn't arrive on the food palette scene until the 16th century and it's believed they are mutations that were cultivated by the Dutch.    That makes them good but not nearly as good for you as original purple carrot varieties.

Growing Carrots

Growing carrots of all colors is a very simple thing.  Normally, you sow the tiny seeds very thickly (since germination is slow and poor) in small holes that are only 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep, while keeping your rows far enough apart for working between them (generally 18 to 24 inches apart is recommended).  

You then thin them when the plants are 3 to 4 inches high to about the same in terms of number.  Keep in mind that young carrots are very tender and at their peak with respect to flavor.   Also remember that if you like carrots these are one food source that you can sow successive crops every two weeks up until July in most locales.  

Where to Buy Purple Carrot Seeds

Today, a cup of coffee often is more than just a variety of the Coffea plant of the Rubiaceae plant family.  True coffee lovers absolutely have strong opinions about what is a good cup of coffee and willingly pay dearly to enjoy a good cup of coffee and it's not just coffee in that cup.

Sometimes it's a good marriage between two plants such as Coffea  and a certain two thousand year old Chinese medicinal mushroom, which brings a cup of coffee into a whole new realm of enjoyment when you realize that the coffee you love, can also love you back. The lingzhi mushroom   or reishi mushroom (Ganoderma Lucidum and Ganoderma Tsugae varieties) , are ancient Chinese remedies for prevention of tumors, cancer, improve memory and thought processes, known to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as blood sugar.

It is perhaps the most important of all Chinese medicinal treatments and is not known to have side-effects. By itself, however, it is bitter tasting. Married to coffee, however, it is said to be very pleasant tasty.

Long referred to in China as the "Immortality mushroom" Lingshi Mushrooms are also known through Asia by other names.  In Japan they are called Reishi, in Korea they are known as Yung Gee, and in Vietnam they are called Linh Chi.​  They are more widely known in Asia where they are native but have close plant relatives in the Amazon. And one variety is even found in the Eastern U.S. wherever old growth hemlock trees still exist (Ganoderma tsugae).    In Nature, they usually grow at the base of trees or beside natural springs.  

They can be grown artificially indoors with a good bit of both patience and luck.  I've known people who grow them outside in parts of the Southeastern U.S. but caution that this is best left up to Master Gardeners.  You can order them online from a variety of sources.  ​ Keeping their environment correct is everything, meaning that they must be kept at a consistent temperature and fairly high level of humidity.  Temperatures must be between 64 degrees F and 85 degrees F.   Humidity needs are closer to a steady 90% humidity.  

Recipe for Growing Lingshi

Ingredients:

• Small cloth bags (muslin, broadcloth, or burlap work best), being sure to not use any that have been colored with dyes

• Linshi mushrooms

• Used Coffee beans (1/4 cup)

• Vermiculite (1 ½ cups)

• Potting soil (4 cups)

Instructions:

• Mix and place all the ingredients into the bag and heat in a regular oven at 375 degrees F for one half hour to sterilize the soil.

• Cool to room temperature.

• Place each bag in plastic see thru containers

• Plant Linshi mushrooms in them

• Cover with Saran or other type of wrap

• Place under florescent lamp in warm place (can use window if you live in a warm climate)

• Water daily, making sure to keep moist but not too damp

• Linshi mushrooms should be ready to harvest in three months

​If You'd Like To Know More About Lingshi Mushrooms!

So to honor her I grow a few coffee plants and have always figured if the modern world ends as we know it, growing your own tea and coffee makes sense.​  I've always found that for me a big part of enjoying any garden, including my own, has to do with the facinating history behind many plants.

Thinking about coffee, always leads me to thinking about goats because the curiosity of goats supposedly had a lot to do with the discovery of coffee. Gram’s version of the well-known Kaldi Coffee legend, complete with dancing goats, was a little bit different than the original story.

Coffee History

In the third century,some monks who had fled from oppression, had taken refuge in the highlands of Ethiopia, across the Red from modern Saudi Arabia. There, they sustained themselves by raising goats, sheep, and crops. One night one of the monks came running into the monastery, ashen and shaky.

“The animals are bewitched!” he gasped breathlessly. “They are running around like it was a spring morning.”

“Peace my son, perhaps you fell asleep and were having a dream” his fellow monk told him. “I’ll go back and tend to the herd.”

However, the second monk found both the goats and sheep running around in the moonlight, instead of sleeping. For many nights afterwards, this odd behavior continued. Concerned the monks prayed and even performed exorcisms. Then, one of the monks saw a goat chewing on the leaves and the fruit of an unfamiliar shrub that grew wild in vast numbers.

Picking some of the ripe cherry-like fruits, he chewed the seeds, and found that he too felt unusual energy and couldn’t sleep no matter how he tried. Thus, coffee was discovered.

Of course, this is one of the many legends handed down about the discovery of coffee, but like other legends it is rooted in fact, this is where the shrub we now know as coffee originated. It is also a historical fact that by the fifteenth century, pilgrims to Mecca used to drink a tea of roasted coffee bean to keep them from falling asleep during the long religious services of the Muslim faith..

From that part of the world, coffee was carried to Constantinople, to Venice, and then to England, France, and other European countries. Coffee houses soon started appearing with the rich and famous (and their wanna-be fan club hopeful members) being first in line as they always are. The first coffee house is believed to have been in London in 1652.

By 1675, these places were so popular that even King Charles II tried to get rid of them because he considered them “seminaries of sedition.” Meanwhile, over in Paris, these establishments were so popular that the common name, “café” is the French word for “coffee” or “coffee house

Grow Your Own Coffee​

If you want to grow your own coffee and don’t live in a country where coffee is produced and fresh coffee fruits are available – there are a few things you can do to start your own coffee plant to insure success:

First:  Buy green coffee cherries online, remembering that coffee is a very slow germinator, depending upon the freshness of the coffee seed.  Freshest seeds will germinate in approximately four months, older seeds can take up to six months to germinate.

Second:  Remember that as with many slow germinating seeds it is best to soak them for about a day prior to planting them.

Third:  Plant your coffee seed in vermiculite (I usually mix in about ¼ cup of fine sand), mixed with bone meal, cow manure, and dried blood.  You plant the seed by laying it flat side down and be careful not only lightly cover with soil.

Fourth:  Until the coffee seed is germinated you will need to additionally do two other things:

Fifth:  Cover the soil with a fine layer of straw (or cut and mulched grass clippings);

Sixth:  Water EVERYDAY keeping moist but also being careful to not overwater.

The perfect place, especially in warmer climates to grow your coffee plant is in a container.  The coffee plant makes a showy attractive plant for indoor or patio use.  ​

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Growing Coffee Is An Exercise In Patience – Or Why Coffee Costs So Much

You can expect that it will be at least six or seven years before your coffee plant (technically a tropical ever-green shrub) matures enough to produce flowers and then the resulting coffee beans.  Also, once your coffee plant is germinated it will require a good bit of tender loving care before you ever get a cup of coffee from your plant.  As the plant grows, I switch my soil to a cactus mix, simply because they drain well.  As it grows you will need to transplant it into successively larger plants.  Always remember to water thoroughly but at the same time to make sure that after watering that the plant is drained completely as this is one species of plant that does not like to have its roots wet.

The Right Place to Grow Your Coffee Plant

Coffee plants are tropical plants in nature.  If you don’t live in a tropical climate or even if you do, they do best as a container plant.  Even here in Florida, I grow mine indoors in containers and because they are large, I have them on low rollers – bringing them in during the winter and out on the patio during the summer.  Indoors keep them near a window or under florescent bulbs. I feed mine 10-10-10 liquid fertilizer every two weeks from spring to fall, but not during the winter.

If You'd Like To Know More About Growing Coffee

Yams are monocots, meaning they come from one embryonic seed leaf, whereas sweet potatoes are diocots, meaning they come from two embryonic seed leaves.  That would make yams close relatives to lilies or grasses and make sweet potatoes related to the morning glory plant family.  There are other differences between yams and sweet potatoes which have to do with:

• the number of parts of the flowers,
• how the petals are arranged, how the roots develop,
• how the veins in the leaves are arranged

Additionally, the sweet potato is actually a herbaceous perennial vine and the ones most familiar to Americans are the over one thousand varieties that originate from Central and South America.  The only similarity with a yam is that it is also a herbaceous perennial, but its nine hundred varieties all originate from Africa and parts of Asia. 

In case you are wondering, the sweet potato (not the yam) is related to the common potato but only very distantly.  

Additionally, sweet potatoes come in many  colors on the outside:

• Yellow
• Orange

• Brown
• Purple
• Beige

Finally, be aware that the flesh of this root vegetable can be a rainbow of colors:

• White
• Beige
• Red
• Pink
• Yellow
• Orange
• Purple

And that difference --  is far more important question to be asking about sweet potatoes, because within those sweet potato flesh colors lies a huge difference in wonderful taste of one of the world's most perfectly nutritional food.  

By comparison, the yam is almost always white fleshed on the inside (although it can also be yellow or pink or even purple in very mature yams.  The outside of yams is mostly some form of brown and in a couple of varieties light pink.

If You'd Like to Know More About -- Sweet Potatoes and  Yams!

• Black Bat Flower

• Bat Head Lily

• Devil Flower

• Cat’s Whiskers

• Tacca chantrieni

Originally the black bat flower plant grew and still does grow wild in the tropical forests of Yunnan Province, in South China.  There this tropical foliage can grow to height of a yard high.  Black Bat Flowers do best in well-drained soil, can be grown as an indoor plant, and if you live in a warm year-round climate, even do well in your yard.  Some people use them in landscaping around their screened in pools.  However, keep in mind that they will not tolerate cold weather or any sort and would need to be protected if a sudden heavy frost or freeze should come.

If you grow this plant indoors or outdoors in a pot be sure to keep in mind that this thirsty plant also needs excellent drainage and that any standard orchid mix would serve your black flower plant very well.  Water your Devil Flower twice a week and never-ever let them sit in water.  Also, assuming that you are growing them in a warm climate be sure to mist them twice a day in extremely hot weather.

How To Grow A Devil Flower

• Black Bat Flowers do best in indirect sunlight, or a place slightly shaded, or with man-made induced shade (such as a screened-in porch or screened-in pool).
  

• Devil Flowers are heavy feeders.  Use a water soluble 10-10-10 fertilizer twice a week, but dilute this to half strength with water.

• In the fall, since Black Bat Flowers need a winter dormant rest, stop normal watering, stop feeding, until the plant dies back.  Remove any dead foliage, leaving bulb undisturbed, and like you would a poinsettia – move your Devil Flower to a dark and warm place for a little slumber until warmer weather returns with consistently temperatures of 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celcius).  Resume watering and feeding slowly and moderately until Black Bat foliage begins to reappear.

If You'd Like To Know More About​ Growing Black Bat Plants!