Archives for the day Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Posted on Mar 03, 2010 under dried flowers |
Passion Flower
There are over 400 species of passion flower (genus Passiflora), which are also known as maypop, apricot vine, or passion vine. The dried, leafy, aerial parts of the P. incarnata species have been most frequently used medicinally. Uses and Benefits:
Passion flower is promoted as a mild herbal anxiolytic, sedative, and hypnotic. It is a popular ingredient in many European sedative-hypnotic herbal combination products (often with valerian, lemon balm, and other herbs). Herbalists have also used passion flower for neuralgia, seizures, hysteria, and various physiologic disorders of presumed nervous origin-whenever a “calming” action is desired. Passion flower was included in over-the-counter (OTC) sedative and sleep aids in the United States until 1978, when the FDA banned it due to lack of proven effectiveness. Pharmacology:
P. incarnata contains flavonoids (e.g., vitexin and isovitexin), small amounts of indole or harmala alkaloids (harman and related compounds), and maltol, all of which have pharmacologic activity in animal models. In most rodent studies, herbal extracts administered orally and by injection have sedative or hypnotic activityHarmala alkaloids have CNS activity (includ�ing psychedelic properties when given in large amounts); interact with a variety of neuroreceptor systems; and are inhibitors of the monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzyme. Chrysin, thought to be a flavonoid component of a related Passiflora species (P. coerulea), binds to benzodiazepine receptors and has anxiolytic actions in mice. however, chrysin may not be found in P. incarnata. Clinical Trials:
Passion flower has only been studied in combi�nation products with other potentially sedative-hypnotic herbs or drugs; thus, the efficacy of passion flower itself is unknown. Euphytose, a European product that combines P. incarnata with several other herbal sedatives (including valerian), was found to have statistically beneficial anxiolytic properties in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. In contrast, a European controlled study comparing a single oral dose of Valverde (P. incarnata, va�lerian, balm, and pestilence wort) with 3 mg of bromazepam found that both were no more effective than placebo.
Compoz, formerly a popular U.S. OTC product that contained P. incarnata (as well as scopolamine and antihistamines), was found to have equivalent anxiolytic effects to placebo in one study; however, the amount of Passiflora in 3 tablets of Compoz was 22.5 mg, a daily dose that was probably negligible. Compoz has been removed from the market.
Despite having CNS effects in rodents, an aqueous extract from a related Passiflora species, P. edulis, had no sedative-hyp�notic effects in nine healthy volunteers. Adverse Effects:
In general, passion flower is considered to be safe and nontoxic, and dependence and withdrawal have not been reported. However, there are isolated case reports of adverse reactions. Five patients required hospitalization due to unresponsiveness or altered consciousness associated with overdoses (100-600 ml) of a P. incarnata product (Relaxir; usual dose 2 teaspoons) used in Norway. One patient appeared to respond to flumazenil. In Australia, a 34-year-old female developed severe nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, prolonged QTc on EKG, and episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia associated with initiation of a P. incarnata product (Sedacalm) at therapeutic doses. Lastly, a patient with rheumatoid arthritis developed a cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction associated with the use of an oral extract. Product adulteration or contamination may have been responsible for these disparate reactions.
Other species of Passiflora have been implicated in toxicities. An aqueous extract of P. edulis caused abnormal elevations of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and amylase in several healthy volunteers. Old reports that passion flower contains toxic cyanogenic glycosides are probably referring to the ornamental blue passion flower, P. coerulea, and not to P. incarnata. Side Effects and Interactions:
Although pure harmala alkaloids have MAO inhibitor activity in animal experiments, adverse reactions or interactions in humans using passion flower have not been reported. Newer studies have shown that only trace amounts of the alkaloids are contained in the herb ( <0.1 ppm), and thus doses used clinically should not have MAO inhibitor activity. Cautions:
Safety in pregnant and breast-feeding women hafl not been evaluated. Preparations & Doses:
The usual recommended dose is about 500-2000 mg of dried herb, or 300-400 mg of commonly prepared extracts, 3-4 times daily, or as needed. Summary Evaluation :
Passion flower is commonly used as a mild anxiolytic, sedative, and hypnotic herb, properties which have been demonstrated only with large doses in animal studies. Beneficial activity in humans has not been adequately evaluated at therapeutic doses, and evidence-based recommendations cannot be made. Avail�able information suggests that effects are likely to be mild in usual doses, and can only be regarded as possibly beneficial for minor problems of anxiety or insomnia
Technorati Tags: Dosage, Effects, flower, Interactions, medicinal, Passion, Side, uses
Posted on Mar 03, 2010 under silk flowers |
Hawaii silk floral arrangements are used all over the world for their beauty and stunning arrangement. These flowers are seasonal and are not available at all times. To be able to get hawaii silk floral arrangements all year round, we have to settle for the artificial variety. Asianlanterns, boylesilkfloralsupply, kinkadestudios and outbackboutique are great sources for artificial Hawaii silk floral arrangements .
How to prepare a Hawaii silk floral arrangement called a lei: The flowers are sorted by size, color, and quality prior to stringing. A special lei needle and twine are used to fashion the blossoms into a strand about 40 inches in length. The strand is then tied with ribbon to form the typical lei. The metal lei needle is 12 to 18 inches long with a sharp point at one end and a small hook on the other end to hold the twine.
To make an orchid lei: hold a blossom flat in one hand and insert the needle carefully through the bottom of the flower, then through the center, and finally through the other end. Push the blossom down onto the lei needle and repeat the process until you have five or six blossoms on the needle. Wrap your free hand around the flowers and pull the needle and then the lei twine gently through the flowers. Repeat this process until the lei is the length you want.
Hawaii silk floral arrangements can be used for many occasions. According to the occasion the arrangement and the flowers included will vary. The occasions can be everyday decoration, anniversary, baby, get well soon gift and sympathy gift. From the arrangement of flowers the celebration or the occasions will be identified.
Silk flowers and plants are great for use in home decor or commercial business decor and are available from retailers such as designers, gift shops and promotional companies.
Technorati Tags: arrangements, floral, Hawaii, silk
Posted on Mar 03, 2010 under wreaths |
A Wonderful Advent Wreath Story
“What are you doing, great-grams?”
She looked at me over the tops of her glasses, the way she does when she’s reading to me from the Bible to see if I’m paying attention. I really was interested, she could tell. I know because she took off her glasses, letting them hang by the silver beaded chain around her neck.
“I’m making the Advent wreath for the church.”
“What’s the Advent? And why do they get a fancy wreath?” I reached for the purple ribbon with a finger. “Can I feel it?”
“Are your hands clean? Is your heart pure?”
I could feel my nose wrinkle. “I’ll go wash. And say a prayer.”
Grams smiled, putting her glasses on again. “When you come back, I’ll tell you the story of the Advent wreath.” Another glance over her glasses at me. “Don’t cut your washing or your prayers short, or the story will be very short.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I ran off, not noticing her loving smile follow me. I was back with my face pink and a peaceful heart in almost no time. Grams did her sideways-look at me.
I could feel the blush make my freckles jump out. “I washed behind my ears, too!”
She nodded, tying the last bit of wire holding the evergreens to the small spoked wheel. “You know Christmas is coming?”
Nodding, I glanced at the Nativity set up on the corner table. “The birth of the Christ child.”
“Exactly. Well, in the old days….”
“When you were my age?”
“A bit before then, dear. Would you like to help?” She turned the wreath, checking the greens for gaps. “The Advent wreath is special to the church. There are a lot of symbols.” She touched the purple silk. “The purple ribbon is the old symbol of royalty. Christ was also known as “The Prince of Peace.”
She pointed, “These candles all have names. The first is the Prophet’s candle. It means ‘Hope’ for the Coming.” She looked at me, “You understand about hope?”
“I hope so!” I said, handing her the candle.
“Hope is not about what will happen, it’s about what may happen. You have to believe in order for hope to work.” She said. “It’s not about what you want or need. It’s the devout wish for something beyond your experience. Something greater than yourself.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I reached out and touched the second candle, the wax silky smooth. “This one is named?”
“The Bethlehem candle. For the town where Christ was born. It means ‘Peace’.”
“And this one? It’s not purple, it’s pink!” I sniffed. “It smells good. Like roses.”
“That’s because it’s special. The Shepherds candle. It means ‘Joy’. It goes here.” she pointed. “Can you guess the name of the last candle?”
“No….”
“It’s called the Angel’s candle.” We put in the Advent wreath together.
“I love you, Grams.”
“I know, dear. That’s what this candle means. And the reason we remember the birth of Christ.”
Technorati Tags: Advent, story, wonderful, Wreath
Posted on Mar 03, 2010 under how to dry flowers |
Anyone who takes a great interest in gardening should be aware of how important healthy flower seeds are for growing nice plants. Taking flowers through all the evolution stages from seed to blossom requires a lot of care, not to mention that harmonious development highly depends on the pre-plantation stages. There are a few things you should check in order to get an idea over the flower seeds you intend to use. Many gardeners consider that nothing compares with the flower seeds that you spare and preserve yourself; yet, if you do so, it is a must that you take all the measures necessary to prevent mold formation or any degradation caused by excessive humidity or dryness.
First of all, only those flower seeds that are absolutely perfect from a “genetic” point of view should be preserved: how can you tell the difference? The best way is to use some magnifying lenses and have a close look at the seeds so as to be able to spot minor defects. Unhealthy flower seeds are not likely to give life to strong and beautiful plants, whereas seeds that have the proper consistency and size are the most looked for. You can consult some gardening books and learn some tricks about how to preserve flower seeds well.
There are advantages and disadvantages about the flower seeds you can purchase directly from special stores or simply order online. Here we mainly refer to how old the flower seeds are, and what sort of chemical treatments they may have been exposed to so as to prevent decay. Quality flower seeds should have the same color even when dry, and you can tell the age of a seed by merely analyzing its color. The less intense the color, the older the seed. However, in order to be able to do that at home, your eyes must be familiar with the look of a healthy dry seed.
Furthermore, don’t buy only the cheapest flower seeds you can find; you may save a few bucks, but you don’t have the same quality warranty as when purchasing the seeds from a trustworthy and famous company. Always check the label of the product to find out whether the flower seeds have been exposed to any form of chemical treatment or not; usually, manufacturers must inscribe the preservation process on the package, and without such information, the quality of the seeds is not reliable.
Technorati Tags: Characteristics, flower, Identifying, look, quality, seeds, Should
Posted on Mar 03, 2010 under dried foliage |
Jojoba is a shrub that is native to the Sonoran and Majoave desserts of Arizona, California, and Mexico. It is the only species in the family SImmondsiaceae. Sometimes, it is also placed in the box family, Buxaceae. This herb is also known as goat nut, deer nut, pignut, wild hazel, quinine nut, coffeeberry, and gray box bush. The jojoba plant grows one to two meters tall and has a broad, dense crown. The leaves are opposite, oval in shape, and approximately two to four centimeters in length and 1.5 to 3 centimeters wide. The leaves are thick, waxy, and gray-green in color. The flowers are small and greenish-yellow in color. They have five to six sepals and no petals. Each plant is neither male or female. Hermaphrodites in this species are extremely rare. The fruit of the jojoba plant is an acorn-shaped ovoid that is one to two centimeters long. The mature seed is a hard oval, dark brown in color, and contains about fifty-four percent oil.
Jojoba foliage gives a year-round food opportunity for many animals. Among these include deer, jaelina, bighorn sheep, and livestock. The nuts are often eaten by squirrels, rabbits, other rodents, and larger birds. The only animal known to be able to digest the wax that is found inside the jojoba nut is the Bailey’s Pocket Mouse. The seed meal is toxic to many mammals when taken in large quantities. The indigestible wax often acts as a laxative in humans.
Native Americans in Arizona, California, and northern Mexico used jojoba for the hair and as a tonic for the body. The herb is a valuable crop for some Native American tribes in those areas. This herb can be found in shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, and sunscreens.
Jojoba oil, which is made from the seeds of the plant, has been used traditionally by Native Americans. They use this herb to promote hair growth and relieve skin problems. Jojoba helps to remove the sebum deposits that are responsible for causing dandruff and scalp disorders. This herb is responsible for making the scalp less acidic.
One study found the wax that is in the jojoba oil to treat acne and psoriasis. This herb has traditionally been used successfully for this purpose. In addition, it is used to heal minor skin irritations. A study on rabbits found that those who were fed jojoba oil had a reduction of forty percent in their blood cholesterol levels. The reason or component that is responsible for this activity still remains unknown.
The oil of the jojoba plant is used to provide emollient properties. The primary nutrients found in jojoba are chromium, copper, iodine, silicon, vitamins E and B complex, and zinc. It is important to consult your health care provider before consider using this or any other supplement while on prescription medications. Primarily, jojoba is very beneficial in treating dandruff, hair loss, psoriasis, and dry scalp.
Additionally, this herb is extremely helpful in dealing with abrasions, acne vulgaris, athlete’s foot, cuts, eczema, pimples, seborrhea, mouth sores, warts, and wrinkles. For more information on the many benefits provided by jojoba, please feel free to contact a representative from your local health food store with questions.
Technorati Tags: health, Improve, Jojoba, scalp
Posted on Mar 03, 2010 under dried pods |
There are many advantages to using a K-Cup to brew your coffee. A K-Cup is a single serving packet of coffee that is used with a Keurig coffee machine. Ground coffee is packed inside the cup along with a filter. A foil lid is placed on top of the K-Cup. When the cup is placed into the coffee machine, the foil is punctured and hot water is forced through the cup and the coffee is brewed directly into a mug. Each K-Cup makes one cup of coffee.
There are many different manufacturers who make K-Cups for Keurig machines, and coffee drinkers have a wide variety of coffees to choose from. There are also K-Cups for teas and hot cocoas, making K-Cups versatile.
What are the advantages to using a K-Cup over traditional coffee?
K-Cups are very simple to use. It is virtually impossible to make a bad cup of coffee with a K-Cup, unless you choose the wrong blend to make. K-Cups brew a quick, delicious cup of coffee. No need to measure coffee from a bag and make a mess. Just pour in water, place the K-Cup in, and put your mug under.
K-Cups also make a fast cup of coffee. Most machines that use K-Cups brew in one to two minutes. No more waiting 10 minutes for an entire pot to brew. You can enjoy multiple brew sizes with the K-Cup system as well. Each K-Cup machine allows users to set the brew size. For a stronger, more potent cup of coffee, a user can select a smaller brew size. For a larger, mellower cup of coffee, a user can select a larger brew size.
Coffee house quality at a fraction of the price basically sums up the K-Cup experience. One of the reasons many people chose to get their coffee from a coffee house each morning instead of from their own kitchen is because the quality tends to be better. With K-Cups, the quality is perfect each time. While K-Cups may be a bit more expensive than traditional coffee, they are far less expensive than a cup from the coffee house each day. If you replace your coffee house coffee each morning with a K-Cup brewer, the brewer will eventually pay for itself in savings. Over time, you will see significant savings.
Utilizing a Keurig coffee machine and K-Cups gives you the exact coffee you want each time. With traditional coffee makers, everyone drinks what has been brewed. With K-Cups, each coffee drinker gets the type and flavor coffee he or she wants.
K-Cups offer an easy system for brewing coffee. There are no beans to grind yet the coffee is always at its freshest because each K-Cup is airtight. There are also no filters to buy or clean, and no glass carafes to break. Since the K-Cup brews directly into a mug there is no glass carafe that will break and be next to impossible to replace. Glass carafes can get stained and grungy looking. No carafe means no cleaning a carafe. In many cases coffee can be saved as well. Sometimes you brew more than you need and end up pouring half a pot down the sink. With K-Cups, you make only as much as you’ll drink.
Organic or fair trade coffee is available for use with K-Cups as well. K-Cups are one of the few single brewing options that offer these green and responsible choices of coffee. K-Cups are a very easy clean up too. They are dry when taken out of the machine and can be thrown in the trash without leaving a messy, drippy trail.
While individual packs of K-Cups from the grocery store might be a bit expensive, there are many online sellers that offer a discount and many K-Cup coffee clubs that regularly send K-Cups at a discount. In fact, Keurig has its own coffee club with many discounts and benefits.
There are also a variety of K-Cup machines available, from heavy duty machines to small machines that can be kept directly on your desk. Since only one cup at a time is brewed, you don’t have to worry about having a hot carafe of coffee waiting to spill or burn.
One more thing you might want to know about K-Cups. Not just anyone can manufacture them. Green Mountain Coffee owns Keurig and the right to license out the making of K-Cups. That means that they need to approve any manufacturer that wants to put its product in K-Cup. This helps to assure quality, because Green Mountain Coffee is committed to making sure their product produces the best cup of coffee drinkers can have.
Most people who have a K-Cup brewing machine rave about the machine and the coffee it makes. Having a perfect cup of coffee, brewed just the way you like it in fewer than two minutes certainly is something to rave about.
Technorati Tags: Advantages, brew, coffee, Keurig, Using
Posted on Mar 03, 2010 under dried flowers |
Flowers hold sway in lending that significant ultimate feel to our homes and gardens; their innate loveliness renders them the ideal finish for all kinds of interiors, whether traditional and severe or new and trendy.
Flowerpots enable us to grow our favored flowers inside our homes, albeit the place where we reside may not be conducive for their survival outdoors. Flowerpots render it possible to lift and brighten up our interiors, and to rearrange the flower displays in order to match whatever kinds of style we think of adopting whenever we are in the mood to experiment. Our pots can be adorned and embellished in accordance with celebratory events and we tend to make our flower plants an integral part of our existence.
The flowerpots could also be put outdoors, apparently, enhancing the external splendor of the home as well as any garden, which is by now, chock-a-block with flowers in the yard. Here too, it is possible to fashion continually changing displays, rearranging the pots from time to time, thereby creating a vibrant backdrop.
Moreover, another great advantage is that, the flowerpots can be repositioned inside the home to shield fragile plants from the harsh winter conditions.
When you set off to purchase flowerpots there are several things that you need to bear in mind. In the first instance, you need to decide where you wish to place the pots. Would you like the flowerpots to complement the decor of an individual room in the house? You definitely must study the requirements of plants you wish to grow. For instance, African violets favor firmly packed root spaces, and therefore, a modest-sized pot would be the perfect thing for these lovelies. Do you wish the flower plants to be suspended? Well, in such a case, hanging pots or window box planters are very suitable and are easily available.
You need to consider your own desires, the requirements of the plants and the environmental conditions to which the plants will be exposed. Select the most suitable flowerpot. For instance, if you are unable to invest the time needed for looking after the plants, you should preferably go in for some such thing as a plastic flowerpot, since it is far less prone to drying than something akin to an open terracotta flowerpot.
Also, opt for plastic flowerpots in case the pot is positioned in a hot westerly direction in order to prevent it becoming extremely hot. In fact, plastic pots are very light and are good at retaining moisture; a few plastic pots can double-up as liners, which can be put inside other ornamental pots, thereby providing extra insulation to the plants.
Now, terracotta pots cannot withstand frost, and therefore you should ensure to place these pots in a warm location in case their flowers are fragile. Stone and concrete planters or pots, too, tend to get heated very fast, but in their case, they also have the benefit of insulation; actually, this material is excellent for keeping the temperature and moisture of the soil stable. In case the tops are covered, the plants in these flowerpots could be kept outside in the winter; however, a major drawback is that concrete or stone planters are very difficult to shift.
Still another kind of material used for heavy pots is metal. These metal pots are suitable for winter conditions as they help keep the heat; however, this gives rise to another area of concern since in case the plants in these metal pots are not watered regularly, the roots are prone to hardening and drying out. Alternatively, to ensure there is adequate amount of water retained in the containers you can pick wooden pots; you need not be concerned about the wood decomposing as it can be sprayed with preservatives. Now, wood has the tendency of expanding and contracting with temperature and moisture and, care should be taken to see that it is built soundly.
There are synthetic materials, like resin and fiberglass, which make excellent options for pots. They appear much like natural material, and they are lightweight, long lasting, and cost-effective and most these days can tolerate frost.
Coming to the pot measurements, a regular shaped pot that is tall and wide, as a rule, is appropriate for most plants as it offers the right fit. Next, comes the azalea pot that is far more broad than tall; now, this pot is the right choice for plants without deep roots. Azalea pots are sound and strong and due to their modest size, draw attention to the flowers planted in them. Lastly, rose pots are about 1/3rd taller than wide and make for a great selection for plants with deep roots.
Based on what you have in your mind with regard to flowerpots, you can select an intricately designed container in order that both it and the plants are displayed to perfection or you can opt for flowers that occur in rainbow colors and contrast them with pots that are stark and simple so that the flowers are prominently accentuated. For people who desire a simple splash of hue in their lives, they can procure self-watering pots in order that aspirant gardeners with hectic schedules can relax even while luxuriating in their own private paradise.
Technorati Tags: Choicest, Choose, flower, flowers, Ideal, pots, tips
