Gardening is Healthy

 
            Hi everybody and welcome! The spring planting season is now in full swing and everywhere you look you see color and more color. Now is the time when people flock to the outdoors to dress up their yards and gardens to get ready for the season. Not only does sprucing up your yard create eye candy for the beholder but also the outdoor activity that we do is actually beneficial to our health. The positive feelings we get while we are tilling in the garden and working with plants can effectively help reduce fatigue and stress. If you have a high-pressure job, the benefits of gardening can be significant. If you have plants in your home, you have the added benefit of the leaves actually help to clear the air. Plants in the home can also help to raise humidity levels in the home. This can be most important during the dry winter months. Plants can also help absorb noise and actually lessen dust in the home.

            Many tests have been done on the relation to blood pressure and gardening. Studies have shown that people who frequently tend to their gardens have lower blood pressure levels. Gardening should never be a substitute for your regular medication or healthcare, however.

            With the arrival of spring comes the job of pruning all your favorite plants. Not only do you need to decide on which plants to prune but you also must choose which tool will suit your needs the best. There are basically two types of pruners, anvil and bypass. Anvil pruner’s work by pushing a sharp blade against a flat piece of metal called an “anvil”. The bypass pruner works more like a pair of scissors. The tool has two sharp blades that work together to cut the plant material. In general, the bypass type is the preferred choice, as it will make a cleaner cut that will ultimately heal faster

            Spring is a time when many people will decide to replant their houseplants. Maybe you need to put them in a larger pot or maybe you just want to create a new look with a decorative planter. To ensure you don’t transmit any diseases from plant to plant, clean the old pot with a 1% solution of bleach before reusing the pot for another plant. For added safety, you can also use this method before placing your plants in a newly purchased pot.

            With the arrival of spring, many people may decide to move a favorite plant that you have indoors all winter to an outdoor environment. In order to make this process work, place the plant in it’s new location for short intervals at first, and then gradually increase the plants exposure to it’s new location over the course of a couple of weeks. Even with all the precautions, the plant may still drop some leaves and/or buds. This is normal and the plant should make a full recovery.

            That’s all for this weeks column and I hope you enjoyed it. Just a reminder that you can contact me with your plant questions by e-mail or by using my new garden forum. The forum is located at www.hometowngarden.com.

Plants That Cure

Hi everybody and welcome! As you may or may not know, many of the plants we use and see in everyday life can also be used in medicinal purposes. Bear in mind that the topics I am going to cover are mainly for entertainment purposes and should never be used in place of standard medical procedures.

Probably one of the most widely used plants that people use for medicinal purposes is the garlic clove. The bulbs can be used either raw or cooked and adds excellent flavor to many of our favorite dishes. Garlic is both a flavorful and nutritious addition to the diet. There is not much of the garlic plant that is not used.  In addition to the bulb itself, the plant stems are also used in flavoring a wide variety of dishes.

Besides being used as a spice, garlic has a long folk history of being used to treat a wide variety of ailments. Garlic has been known to treat such skin ailments such as ringworm and candida. Garlic has been said to have excellent germicidal, antiseptic and parasiticidal properties. So, the next time you cut your finger, bring out the garlic.

Not only does garlic have a positive effect on the outside of your body but it also has some great internal uses also. Folklore has said that garlic has anti-cancer properties but probably the most common use for this tasty spice is the effect it has on your heart and blood system. If you look at the statistics, the incidents of heart problems is much lower in Italy then in the U.S. It is also a known fact that Italians eat lots of garlic. That may be one of the reasons for this low incidence of heart disease. Since no part of this plant is watered, the juice is used as an antiseptic to treat cuts and abrasions.

Watermelon has been an American favorite at almost every picnic and outing for years and years. The seeds for the plant can be sowed anytime after the threat for cold weather has passed. For us, that is probably sometime in early to mid March. The plants do best in light to medium sandy soil that is well drained. Watermelon will not grow in total shade and they do not do well in acidic soil. In our area, it would be a good idea to add some lime to the soil if you are going to try raising your own. The lime will neutralize and sweeten the soil, which will give you a much better chance of success.

The watermelon fruit has a delicate sweetness and the fruit is high in pectin. Pectin has been said to protect the body from radiation. The watermelon seed can be used as a diuretic and has been used to treat conditions of the urinary tract. The fruit is also very high in lycopine. This substance has been said to help protect the heart against heat attacks. The seeds are very oily and can be used in the making of soaps.

That’s all for this weeks column and I hope you enjoyed it. I will see you again next week with more great garden tips and information.

Gardening is Healthy

Hi everybody and welcome! The spring planting season is now in full swing and everywhere you look you see color and more color. Now is the time when people flock to the outdoors to dress up their yards and gardens to get ready for the season. Not only does sprucing up your yard create eye candy for the beholder but also the outdoor activity that we do is actually beneficial to our health. The positive feelings we get while we are tilling in the garden and working with plants can effectively help reduce fatigue and stress. If you have a high-pressure job, the benefits of gardening can be significant. If you have plants in your home, you have the added benefit of the leaves actually help to clear the air. Plants in the home can also help to raise humidity levels in the home. This can be most important during the dry winter months. Plants can also help absorb noise and actually lessen dust in the home.

Many tests have been done on the relation to blood pressure and gardening. Studies have shown that people who frequently tend to their gardens have lower blood pressure levels. Gardening should never be a substitute for your regular medication or healthcare, however.

With the arrival of spring comes the job of pruning all your favorite plants. Not only do you need to decide on which plants to prune but you also must choose which tool will suit your needs the best. There are basically two types of pruners, anvil and bypass. Anvil pruner’s work by pushing a sharp blade against a flat piece of metal called an “anvil”. The bypass pruner works more like a pair of scissors. The tool has two sharp blades that work together to cut the plant material. In general, the bypass type is the preferred choice, as it will make a cleaner cut that will ultimately heal faster

Spring is a time when many people will decide to replant their houseplants. Maybe you need to put them in a larger pot or maybe you just want to create a new look with a decorative planter. To ensure you don’t transmit any diseases from plant to plant, clean the old pot with a 1% solution of bleach before reusing the pot for another plant. For added safety, you can also use this method before placing your plants in a newly purchased pot.

With the arrival of spring, many people may decide to move a favorite plant that you have indoors all winter to an outdoor environment. In order to make this process work, place the plant in it’s new location for short intervals at first, and then gradually increase the plants exposure to it’s new location over the course of a couple of weeks. Even with all the precautions, the plant may still drop some leaves and/or buds. This is normal and the plant should make a full recovery.

That’s all for this weeks column and I hope you enjoyed it. Just a reminder that you can contact me with your plant questions by e-mail or by using my new garden forum. The forum is located at www.hometowngarden.com.