Plants @ Mum's House

Aloe

Common Name: Aloe

Genus: Aloe

Species: vera

Skill Level: Beginner

Exposure: Full sun

Hardiness: Tender

Soil type: Well-drained/light

Height: 60cm

Time to divide plants: June to August 

This easy-to-grow succulent forms dense clumps of
fleshy,light green leaves with soft toothed margins.
Spikes of tubularyellow to orange flowers appear in
summer, but rarely in the UK. It is best grown as a
houseplant in the UK. Grow in a mixture of
loam-based John Innes No 2 compost with additional
sand or perlite for increased drainage. Apply a balanced
liquid feed during the growing season and reduce
watering in the winter. It should be kept at a
temperature no lower than 10 degrees C. It has been
given an Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which is for
plants of outstanding excellence.

Looks good with:

Ceropegia linearis subsp woodii
Aloe variegata

Christmas cactus

Common Name: Christmas cactus

Genus: Schlumbergera

Species: x buckleyi

Skill Level: Beginner

Exposure: Full sun, Partial shade

Hardiness: Tender

Soil type: Well-drained/light, Dry, Sandy

Height: 30cm

Spread: 30cm

In their natural habit of the tropical rainforest
of south east Brazil schlumbergera form large
plants that grow on the forest floor. They are
grown for their bright tubluar flowers, often
appearing around Christmas, at the ends of
flatten stems. They make excellent indoor plants
and look very effective in hanging baskets. Place
in a cool room and flowers will last six weeks.
Plants can be propagated by leaf cuttings taken
in spring or early summer. S. buckleyi has
arching, bright green stems made up of segments.
The flowers appear in winter and are deep pink,
red or white. Grow in cactus compost in bright
but indirect sunlight. Apply a high potash fertiliser,
such as tomato feed, every month during the
growing season and reduce watering after flowering
has finished.

Golden barrel cactus

Common Name: Golden barrel cactus

Genus: Echinocactus

Species: grusonii

Skill Level: Experienced

Exposure: Full sun

Hardiness: Half Hardy

Soil type: Well-drained/light

Height: 60cm

Spread: 80cm

Time to plant seeds: March to May 

The golden barrel cactus is armed with golden
yellow spines. Spines grow from areoles,
modified leaf stalks, and are arranged in rows
up and down the plant. It quickly grows to about
10cm (4in) in the first few years, then taking
many years for it to double its size. In its native
Mexico, plants can eventually grow to around
90cm (3ft) wide, but cultivated usually only grow
to around 30cm (12in). Feed plants once a month,
during the growing season, with a high potash
fertiliser. During winter, do not water the plants
but just keep them moist otherwise they will rot.

Weeping fig

Common Name: Weeping fig

Genus: Ficus

Species: benjamina

Skill Level: Experienced

Exposure: Partial shade

Hardiness: Half Hardy

Soil type: Well-drained/light

Height: 200cm

Spread: 150cm

This is one of the most elegant indoor plants
with its graceful weeping branches bearing
glossy dark green leaves. Grow in a loam-based
compost in full light, but not direct sun. From
spring to summer feed every two weeks with a
balanced liquid fertiliser and then sparingly in
winter. It has been given an Award of Garden
Merit (AGM), which is for plants of outstanding
excellence.

NHM: Fairytale Wolf

Natural History Museum Annual Photography Exhibition

In 2005 I was in the NHM and they were 
charging crazy entry prices so 
I didn't get to see the amazing photography. 

It's good to know you can see a range online now. 

This one flabbergasted me particularly.

Exercise Reduces Sick Time Better Than Drugs

 

By: Jen Mueller

As cold and flu season quickly approaches (or has already arrived if you live in my house), questions arise about exercise and illness. Is it okay to exercise if I have a cold?How soon after an illness can I return to regular activity? A lot of us are going to get sick this year, so it's good to know what to do if it happens to you. But what about preventing illness in the first place? We take our vitamins and eat our fruits and vegetables, but can exercise help protect you from getting a cold? Research says "yes."

According to an expert from the American College of Sports Medicine,"multiple studies have shown a 25% to 50% decrease in sick time for active people who complete at least 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (such as walking) most days of the week." The protection that regular exercise offers is far greater than the protection drugs can provide, according to the article. So instead of taking a pill, take a walk to help ward off a cold!

Despite your best efforts, you might still end up getting the sniffles this winter. So what are some guidelines to follow when it comes to exercise?

• If you've got a cold that's above the neck (runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, etc.) then you should be okay to exercise if you're feeling up to it.
  
• If you have a cold that's below the neck (in your chest), or if you have other symptoms like a fever or swollen glands, it's better to rest.
  
• Listen to your body. If you're not feeling good and you push it too much, the illness can end up hanging around longer.
  
• Once you're well again, ease back into exercise. You might find it takes a week or two (or maybe even longer, depending on how sick you were) to get back up to your pre-illness level.

Do you notice you get fewer colds now than you did before you became active? Has being fit helped you fight off illness?

Eight Health Benefits of Stinging Nettle from HealthMad.com

This morning after snipping up my experimental bunch of 2 ft long dried nettles I had collected in the summer, I made my first dose of tea. As it was boiling I was wondering to myself if I was doing myself more harm than good and I'm glad to say it's all good! Have a look at what I found: 



Eight Health Benefits of Stinging Nettle | HealthMad


Stinging nettle, or commonly know with it’s botanical name Urtica Dioica, is a plant growing in the tropical areas around the world. The homeland of nettle is Brazil and other South American countries. It is also abundant in Northern Europe and Asia. Nettle has a well-known reputation for giving a sting when the skin touches the hairs and bristles on the leaves and stems. It grows 2 to 4 meters.It has white,green and yellow leaves. When someone feels being stung by nettle, this is actually because of the irritants in the nettle. Some of those irritants are formic acid,histamine and acetylcholine. After this little introduction about stinging nettle, let’s talk about our main topic, that is, the health benefits of it.

Here is some of the well-known curative properties of nettle.

1. It is used as diuretic
2. It is used to treat anemia since nettle leaves contain high amount of iron content. It also helps to formation and coagulation of blood cells.
3. It is used in the treatment of arthrites and rheumatism
4. It protects respiratory and urinary problems
5. It decreases the risk of eczema and other skin disorders. Additionally, it is used in asthma treatment.
6. It is used in the treatment of benign prostate
7. It is used in the treatment of sinusitis and rhinitis
8. It protects hair loss (Alopecia)

Also this:

The benefits of nettle leaves.

THE NETTLE, a stinging plant grows wild in the jungles and forests of Papua New Guinea. Many villagers in the rural communities use it as a remedy for pain relief, muscle aches and back problems.

They use the plant’s leaves with its tiny needle-like spikes to rub it on the part of the body that aches and the aches just simply vanish within minutes.

I have used it often but I boil the leaves in hot water until it darkens than I remove the leaves and drink it as herbal tea.I now affectionately call it ‘nettle tea’. I often drink two cups in the morning as an energiser. My experience with nettle has shown me that it also has other benefits as well.

It makes the skin, particularly the face glow. It also helps in hair growth and cleanses the blood from possible clotting.

My friends wife lives in a rural village recently gave birth with the assistance of midwives. She drank nettle tea every morning to stop the heavy bleeding that resulted from the childbirth.

I drink it every morning to boost my energy levels but the benefits are unlimited.

You can use stinging nettle as a soup base and add shitake mushrooms, or seaweed. Or make it into a tea  (which is what I did). The base of tall plants isn't very good to eat anymore so chop it up and leave it in a bucket with water until fermented and use as an excellent compost for the garden.

Thanks Baz

Enjoy your body, 

use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people 

think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever 

own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.