Chrysanthemums Are Always Seen As Chinese Herb

Sometimes it seems that Chinese herbal medicine is complicated. For some people, a stereotype exists that Chinese herbs only come from potions made of exotic plants and animal parts that are found only in the furthest corners of China. However, in some cases, Chinese medicinals can be very simple and are frequently found growing in your garden or in pots on your front step. Such is the case with chrysanthemums.

A common garden plant that blooms in the fall, chrysanthemums, or mums, are used for a variety of conditions in Chinese medicine. In addition, there is no complicated preparation needed to use this herb. Simply pick the best looking flowers when they bloom in the fall and hang them upside down or put them in a warm oven for an hour or so to dry the flowers out. Then, just drop them in hot water to make tea.

When I think about the uses for chrysanthemum flowers, I immediately think about the Chinese Liver. Your Liver is an organ system that governs the flow of everything in your body, is responsible for the health of your eyes, and nourishes your blood. When your Liver isn't up to par, a number of symptoms may arise, many of which can be helped with chrysanthemum flower tea.

So, what exactly are mums good for? For starters, when you have a cold or the flu with a fever, very sore throat, headache, and even achy eyes, that's a good time for chrysanthemum tea–especially the yellow flowers. As an herb, it can help you fight off your cold, ease your headache, and cool you off.

Chrysanthemum flowers also benefit your eyes. White mums are good for red, painful, dry eyes, and excessive tearing. In addition, if the nourishing ability of your Liver is funky, you may experience spots, floaters, or blurry vision. In this case, chrysanthemum flowers can help nourish your Liver and benefit your vision.

Mums are also useful for something called Liver wind rising upward, which is a pattern of movement where there should be none. Again, when your Liver isn't doing its nourishing job well, you may become depleted and even dried out. When that happens, symptoms like headaches and dizziness can occur, for which chrysanthemum tea can help. High blood pressure is also a kind of wind rising upward which can cause headaches, dizziness and light-headedness. Combined with honeysuckle flowers, chrysanthemums have been effective in reducing blood pressure.

So head out to your garden or back stoop and pick a handful of chrysanthemum flowers (or pinch some from your neighbor with the green thumb). Dry them out, and make tea (you can add honey, licorice, or green tea). It will soothe your Liver, help your eyes, lower your blood pressure, and help your headache.

Several Beauty Cures Of Witch Hazel For Skin

Witch Hazel is the name of a North American shrub that was commonly used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes. Witch hazel extract is created by steaming the twigs and leaves of the shrub, and it's now packaged in bottles in drugstores everywhere.

Why do you need witch hazel? There are so many reasons! Witch hazel is a product that's often used as an ingredient in beauty products, but you can use it on its own at home to achieve a wide variety of curing effects. Here are some of the great, healing uses for witch hazel.

Acne Treatment

Witch hazel is a natural astringent, so one of the most common uses is to prevent and treat acne. If you dab a cotton ball in witch hazel and apply to your face once per night, it can help remove built-up oils and prevent acne from forming. If you have a pimple, place witch hazel on top of it, and it will help dry up and eliminate the zit amazingly fast.

Reduce Under-Eye Bags

Witch hazel will help tighten your skin. Applying it to a cotton ball and dabbing on the bags under your eyes will help shrink them and greatly reduce their appearance. If you suffer from under-eye bags, witch hazel is one of the most effective treatments available.

Soothe Varicose Veins

If varicose veins are a problem for you, witch hazel can provide some relief. Varicose veins are unsightly, and they can also be painful. Soak washcloths in witch hazel, prop up your legs, and lay the washcloth over your varicose veins. The witch hazel will help constrict the veins, reducing their appearance and the discomfort they cause.

Razor Burn Treatment

Witch hazel is also a natural anti-inflammatory agent, so try applying some to your legs or bikini area after shaving (or if you're a male, to your face). It can help prevent itchy razor burn bumps from forming. If you are suffering from razor burn, applying witch hazel can also help soothe your skin and quickly soothe the burn.

Soothe Sunburn/Burns

For a nasty sunburn, witch hazel is an excellent way to soothe the inflammation and pain. By applying witch hazel to burned skin – whether it was burned by the sun or in another manner – your skin will heal much more quickly. It will also help prevent scaling and flaking.

Cut/Bruise Treatment

For minor cuts, witch hazel can help reduce bleeding, and it will clean out the wound. It will also work in place of an antibacterial ointment like Neosporin to ward against infection, and it will help shorten the time a cut will take to heal. When applied to bruises three times per day, witch hazel will help speed up the healing process to quickly reduce or eliminate the appearance of bruises.

Soothe Bug Bites/Poison Ivy

Witch hazel can help reduce the inflammation and itching of nasty bug bites. If you suffer from poison ivy or poison oak, witch hazel can also help soothe the itching. Don’t forget the witch hazel on your next hike or camping trip!

Tips For Growing Daffodils

Of all the bulbs that bloom in the late winter and early spring, daffodils are among the easiest and most rewarding to grow. If given minimum care at planting time they will grow, bloom, and increase in number with virtually no further attention from you. Because their flowers bloom in early spring you don't need to water the plants during the summer. Daffodils seldom need dividing, and perhaps best off all, they are completely unappetizing to the same rodents that find your tulip bulbs irresistible.

Daffodils can be grown in containers providing the containers are deep enough to allow at least 2 inches of rooting medium beneath the bottom of the bulbs. Small species of Narcissus, like N. Tazaetta, work best if you are looking for permanent, long-term container plants. Most of the larger flowering daffodils, however, tend to perform well in a container for just one season, after which their performance starts to decline. After their "big year" it is best to dig them up and move them to the garden and replant the container with a fresh round of bulbs. Bulbs growing in containers need cool conditions and plenty of fresh air. While the bulbs are rooting, exposure to temperatures above 45 F may cause the flowers to abort. After planting bulbs in the fall, cover the bare soil with mulch and place the containers in a cold place like an unheated garage. Move the containers into a cool room approximately 12 to 16 weeks later. Depending on your climate you can also set them outside. Once the flower buds appear in the spring, blooming can be advanced by gradually raising the temperature.

Daffodils are incredibly versatile bulbs. In the garden, use them to bring early spring color to mixed borders of annuals and perennials, or plant them under deciduous trees and shrubs. Daffodils are also among the most reliable of bulbs for naturalizing open grassy areas as they rarely need lifting in borders or grass. Tiny dwarf daffodil species are an ideal choice for rock gardens and raised beds. Daffodils will grow in almost any soil type, but they prefer moist, well-drained, slightly alkaline conditions. They will thrive in sun or lightly dappled shade. Plant the bulbs two to three times their depth in late summer or early fall. Water newly planted bulbs thoroughly to initiate root growth. In many growing zones, fall and winter will be wet enough to take care of the bulbs moisture needs until spring. In warmer climates, keep the plantings well watered between rains-especially after the foliage has broken through the ground. If you are naturalizing daffodil bulbs, avoid cutting the old foliage until it turns yellow and begins to die back. As long as the foliage remains green, it is still working to recharge the bulbs for next year's flowers. Feed bulbs in the fall with a slow release organic fertilizer.

Clumps of established daffodils only need dividing once flower production and bloom quality has started to decline. Dig up the bulbs in the summer just after the foliage dies back. In order to minimize damage to the bulbs, use a flat garden fork or trowel to carefully pry out the large clumps. Separate the bulbs by hand and either replant them immediately, or store them until it time to plant them in the fall.

These Knowledge About Lavender You Must Know

In fact, there are well over 100 lavender farms across the United States. Though most tend to be concentrated on the west coast, it's a slowly growing agro-industry.

I recently visited White Oak Lavender Farm, in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The family-run farm, which grows over 30 varieties of lavender, has a mission that extends beyond growing and harvesting herbs. Lavender is an integral tool for mental, emotional and physical well-being and, like lavender, every aspect of the farm is meant to soothe tense nerves, relieve stress and put the mind-body continuum back into balance.

Lavender farming is fairly new to the contemporary agricultural scene, even though it has been cultivated in other parts of the world, like Provence, France, for much longer. When asked about the body of research they drew from in starting up the White Oak lavender Farm a few years ago, the guide pointed to one major source: the internet. Forums and other spontaneous sites provide real-time information on growing tips, advice for different plant varieties and general help.

Primarily used in the U.S. as a dried herb for making sock drawers smell nice or as an essential oil for aromatherapy, lavender is also a culinary herb. Its flowery, sweet taste pairs well with bakery recipes, butter, meats and vegetables. It's an herb rich in iron.

Much like whiskey. That's how the essential oils are removed. By using low-pressure steam to boil the oil from the plant, the oil and water byproduct, known as lavender essence, both have multiple uses, from aromatherapy to massages.

Post distillation, one of the major uses of lavender oil is aromatherapy. Studies indicate that the scent of lavender may have a physiological effect on the body, slowing down the nervous system and allowing the mind and muscles to relax.

Ancient Greeks and Romans intuited the cleansing power of lavender, with written records that identify the herb as a tool for bathing and cleaning wounds. Modern science today is just beginning to unravel the antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal properties of the plant. A number of studies have linked lavender to effective treatments of hair loss and dandruff, eczema and other skin ailments, headache relief and muscle pain.

Some have an even broader perspective of lavender's healing power. Prior to its development as a farm at the turn of the century, the property that White Oaks Lavender Farm sits on used to be forest. The site of a major retreat during the Civil War, that same forest briefly became a cesspool of intense suffering, violence and death. It seems fitting, the owners reckoned, that such land would later be used to cultivate a plant with immense healing properties.

Basic Knowledge About Planting Cornflower

Cornflower is an annual flowering plant, bearing rich blue flower which has a charm of its own. It belongs to the daisy family of Asteraceae. This flower is nicknamed "cornflower" and is native to Europe. Its rich blue flowers are used for flower arrangements and garden decoration. Cornflower is grown wild in the grain fields of Southern Europe. It often grew as a weed in the fields of rye, wheat, oats and barley and hence its name. Cornflower is endangered thesedays due to excessive use of herbicides.

Instructions:

Things You'll Need:

• Cornflower bedding plants
• Compost or manure
• Spade
• Trowel

Purchase young cornflower bedding plants at a local nursery or garden center. Look for compact plants with buds but no open flowers. Avoid long, leggy plants and plants that have wilted, yellowing leaves.

Prepare a sunny spot for your cornflowers, as the plants will do best with at least six hours of sun per day. If you live in a desert climate, plant the cornflowers where they will be in shade during the afternoon. Spread a 1- to 2-inch layer of compost or aged manure over the top of the soil, then spade the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.

Use a trowel to dig a hole for each cornflower plant. The hole should be two to three times wider than the cornflower’s root ball. Place the cornflower plant in the hole, planted at the same soil depth it was planted in the nursery pot. Planting too deeply can cause the cornflower to rot. Allow 10 to 12 inches between each plant.

Water the cornflower plants thoroughly immediately after planting and keep the soil moist until you see new growth, which indicates that the roots are established. Thereafter, water cornflower infrequently, only when the soil is dry. Cornflower is drought-tolerant and doesn’t do well in wet soil.

Pinch off wilted blooms so that the cornflower will continue blooming as long as possible.

Tips & Warnings

Cornflower seeds can be planted directly in the garden in early spring. Plant the seeds about 1/2 inch deep, then keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate, which usually takes about a week. Thin the cornflower seedlings when the seedlings are 2 to 3 inches tall. Allow 6 to 12 inches between each plant.