But at the end of it all nothing lasts forever and that once perfectly picked and arranged bouquet will after a few days or a week at most wither and die…alas becoming no more than a waste. A thought a green lover would cringe at no doubt. But you don’t really get to control what people give/send to you now do you? I mean unless you made it well known that cut-flowers/arrangements are not your thing but instead you only welcome potted plants, chances are you might end up with at least one bouquet of flowers for your birthday etc.

So here’s what you can do to not let those lovely flowers and their sender’s good intentions go to waste.

1.    Dried flowers/arrangement
Keep the flowers alive and fresh for as long possible but instead of allowing them to wither into death, just hang them upside down (stems up, flowers down) to dry. Once they are fully dried you would have preserved your bouquet!

2.    Potpourri
If dried flower arrangements are a bit tricky for you then go on and pluck the flower petals and sun them. Once dried they are thoroughly dried, you can go ahead and put them in a basket, add some fragrance oil and there you have it, instant potpourri!

3.    Pressed flowers
An amazing way to preserve the beauty of flowers is to press them. You can form a picture to be framed or even make the most amazing greeting cards with them. And if jewelry making is one of your hobbies, then I’m sure you know just how to make the most breathtakingly unique pieces with pressed flowers.

If you’re at a loss for how you can get involved with color – on a small manageable hobby-like scale then you’re in luck because I’ve got 2 things you can joyfully colour and none of them involves eggs for Easter.
In no particular order of effectiveness, the following can be coloured with natural food dye. If you are deligent and you’ve got lots of time you could make your own colours with natural ingrediance such as berries but I would stick to organic food tint/colouring for quicker results:

1.    Hair…
Hair dye and food dye are both dye and while the latter will obviously only yield you temporary results, it’s much safer and certainly kinder on both your scalp and the environment. It’s a fantastic choice when you just want something different for the day and you can just shampoo it out if you don’t like the results. To tint your hair with natural food dye, just mix the color in the intensity you like into some conditioner and apply to your hair. Leave on for 20-90 minutes depending on your hair color and how deep you want the color to be. Then just rinse it out with cold water and there you have it instant tint. Alternatively you could add the dye to aloe gel and make colored streaks in your hair just as you would with the colored gel or mousse.
Note:  Natural food tint tends to work better on lighter hair.

2.    Flowers…
Yes I get that look on your face, flowers are already naturally with color why would you want to color them? Well these days flowers are coloured to achieve the unnatural – blue roses, black roses, green daisies…you name it they have it. But when I mention coloring flowers, it’s for a different reason. It’s for the art of flower pressing. Adding some color tint to your ‘subjects’ will ensure the color intensity stays after the pressing.

Butterflies are essentially pretty winged insects with an inspiring lifecycle that have given rise to the practice of making reference to them to reassure our young we feel behind on blossoming.  Yet…shocking as it sounds, butterflies have a function in nature and it hasn’t got anything to do with looking pretty. In fact butterflies are just as important as the bees because they play a major role in pollination, which is what keeps nature’s greens alive.

It’s not new news that the population of bees are taking a dive and many organizations and individuals have stepped up to protect whatever bees are left and work on measures to bring the population numbers back up but I’m not sure if people realize we need to do the same for butterflies.
No, general butterflies population is not extinct, but certain species are. And while we may not have the definite answer as to why we are losing our bees, we can be sure that we are contributing to the unnecessary ‘death’ of butterflies  when we  go about ‘catching them’. Butterflies like many insects do not have a very long lifespan – they may in comparison live a tad longer ( some can live up to a year and that in bug years is ancient) but that means nothing when they are ‘hunted’ by collectors and unknowing fascinated children or when their homes are destroyed.

At present I’m not aware of any specific butterfly revival projects, probably because like I mentioned earlier, they aren’t extinct but even without one, you can revive the population in your own yard. All you have to do is tend to your garden and plant some greens that attract them. And you’ll be delighted to know that what attracts butterflies are really beautiful flowering plants that will make your garden look a though it were a snapshot of an impressionist painting!  If you are serious about building a butterfly garden then please visit The Garden Helper where they will give you details and instructions on how to make your garden butterfly fit!

Have you heard of the Great Sunflower Project? It’s an amazingly beautiful and fun project that I would like for you to be apart of. It’s all about the simple task of planting a few sunflower seeds and growing some lovely lovely sunflowers then watching nature take its course.

The main purpose behind the project is about sustaining the ecosystem and you can read the full details over at www.greatsunflower.org/en/about-project . But if you’re too tired to read the entire page, let me give you a few points that should put you for this project – simple ones that you can easily identify with.

• Sunflowers are amazingly beautiful flowers. They are a big burst of sunshine and will give you something to smile about each time you see them.
• You’ll be doing something very meaningful for the ecosystem by giving little pollinators a survival chance.
• You will get a chance to experience nature’s wildlife right at your doorstep.
• You’ll get to make new friends by getting to know others who have signed up.
• It doesn’t cost you anything, just a bit of your time which you will be using to relax among nature when you participate and plant your very own sunflower*.

This could be your garden! (Photo credit:Ginny Stibolt)

* Sunflower seeds are sponsored by the project but are no longer sending seeds out for 2008. They do intend to continue with the project again next year (if they have sufficient funding) so do join their seed mailing list if you are interested in the project.

But you don’t necessarily have to join this project or depend on them to do your part. The project serves to study and help the urban pollinators (bees), hence sustaining the ecosystem. You can do your bit by just planting a sunflower on your own. Sunflower seeds don’t cost much and if you have a friend who already has sunflowers in his or her garden, it doesn’t have to cost you anything. I’m sure they would be more than happy to share with you some harvested seeds.

Now it’s very common that every woman knows that when:

• she’s got spots and troubled skin that just never go away – she takes EPO
• she’s got nasty monthly cramps from PMS or she’s dealing with menopause/peri-menopause – she takes EPO
• she’s got pain and swelling associated with rheumatoid arthritis – she takes EPO
• she’s got a sunburn – she takes EPO

Obviously there are more healing benefits of taking Evening Primrose Oil, but it could well end up a long list so I can’t list them all down; although the idea is clear- there are many benefits to a woman when she takes EPO and it is essentially a woman’s herb.

Today, most of us know Evening Primrose Oil  butmerely as a supplement that conveniently comes in a vege-capsule of 500-1000mg content. We appreciate it to be a rich source of essential fatty acid (EFA); in particular the fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA) -the important intermediary in the metabolic conversion of linolenic acid into Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) which is inter-convertible, and responsible to modulate the action of many hormones.

Briefly, Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) is so named because the human body cannot produce them and they must be obtained from the diet. EFAs are responsible to maintain the function of cell membranes, regulate pain and inflammation, prevent blood clots, regulate blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and help to produce hormone-like substances known as prostaglandins.

But what most of us don’t know is that Evening Primrose Oil, (EPO), is extracted from the seeds of Oenothera bienni. That means that the EPO isn’t extracted from a member of the Primrose family, but instead it is extracted from a member of the Willow herb family.  The Evening Primrose merely got its beautiful whilst deceiving name ‘Primrose’ because it’s lovely yellow flowers closely resemble that of the primrose family’s.
Also the unique trait that the plant’s flowers only open in the evenings grants it the first name, ‘Evening’.

The Evening Primrose plant has a 2 year cycle – the flowers will only bloom in the second year and only after can the seeds be harvested and pressed to give us the remarkable EPO.

Although most people are aware to select EPO that are vegetarian friendly, many are not aware that they should be puchasing EPO that is organic and cold pressed in order to reap the full benefit of the supplement.

And if you are lucky enough to have the actual plant, then by all means make the best of it. All parts of the evening primrose plant are safe for consumption
(roots can be boiled and eaten like parsnips, seeds roasted as a substitute to coffee)

The Evening Primrose is every bit the woman’s herb – beautiful and internally nurturing!

Cited as the “Wood of the Gods”, this resinous wood is has been valued for thousands of years by various cultures for its rich and wonderful fragrance. The resins of the Agarwood poses cultural and religious significance across the globe. Amongst its many uses, Agarwood is popularly:

• used as incense,
• for medicinal purposes (prominently used in Chinese, Unani, Ayuravedic, and Tibetan applications ), and
• its pure distilled resin used as perfume and perfume component (The Middle Eastern and Japanese are famous for it).

Belonging to the genus Aquilaria and to the species Agallocha, Agarwood is native to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia and Northern India. It is an evergreen tree that grows up to 40 meters high and 60 centimeters in diameter,  bearing fragrant, green and yellowish-white flowers.

What’s special about Agarwood is the origins of its prized resin. You see unlike other trees, where resin is the natural occurring hydrocarbon secretion of the plant, the resin of Agarwood is the born out of the response to an attack from Phialophora Parasitica, a parasite fungus or mold.

The fungal attack triggers an immune response from the tree whereby a very rich and dark resin forms from within its heartwood. This resin is commonly known as agar #1 is and used in the making of fine incense and perfume. A more inferior quality resin called agar #2 is created by the wounding of aquilaria trees.
Like fine wine, the resins with the longest maturing time have the greatest aroma and the highest grade of Agarwood called Kyara (means “precious” in ancient Japanese), fetched more per ounce than gold.

Agarwood is precious because it has become so rare. It is near extinction of in places such as Vietnam where it (Aquilaria crassna) is now listed as a protected species. Aquilaria malaccensis is a CITES red data book listed tree! The driving force behind this extinction is the unsustainable Aquilaria haversting
There are attempts to cultivate the wood in plantations in India and other places around the world, but they are no replacement for the wild and natural occurring ones.

Now I can’t say that I have the best/most effective green thumb but I can get the plants to grow/live and flowers to blossom. And I’ll admit that I am a bit biased (alright fine, very biased), because I tend to favour flowering plants over plain green shrubs but I appreciate how a good mix of kinds is what brings a beautiful garden to life.

I’m not afraid of putting my knees to the ground and getting my hands dirty in soil, but sometimes tendering for a garden (especially one that is landscaped to look as though they grew wildly beautiful on their own) is no easy feat.  Everything I learned about gardening I graciously picked up from my dear mother but I’m not sure she ever taught me about seed balls.

So what are seed balls?
Well the name pretty much explains itself – it’s a ball made out of clay, compost, and seeds;  a simple yet ingenious little ‘green bomb’ that’s self-sufficient to grow beautiful  plants/flowers.

How do they work?
The fun part of the seed ball is how you don’t plant it. You merely toss/roll it onto the ground and let nature take its course- Coming in contact with rain,  the clay will wash away, leaving  the seeds to sprout, with the support of compost as fertilizer.

What can they do?
They can help you reclaim derelict land or those tough to reach spots which are boarded up abandoned lots or simply blocked-off riverfront areas.  Just toss a few green bombs in there and you’ve done your part.

Are they safe?
Yes, these are the safest bombs known to mankind. In fact they are downright safe and legal to use.

Where do I get them?
Well you can buy them, but alternatively why not just make them. Making seed balls is a simple yet enjoyable task that you and your kids can enjoy.  I mean essentially these are just seeds mixed with equal proportions of dried compost and clay, then rolled into small balls, and dried for later sowing/bombing.

Can I just roll just about every kind of seed into the ball?
Well not exactly because some seeds do require more help to break out of dormancy (like those with thicker skin, or those with the need for heat or cold to help them break out).

What’s the seed ball formula?

• Mix one part seeds with one part dry compost and one part dry clay.
• After that it’s simply a matter of adding some water, little at a time (spraying it works best) and then mixing it together until you have just the right consistency to hold everything together without crumbling.
• Roll the mixture into small balls* and leave to dry.

*Ideal seed balls should be formed into a size of 2~3 cm in diameter.

So go ahead, get your kids involved in the green fight today and have them toss a few green bombs to help save the Earth.

You know how they come uninvited into your garden and then

• leave one too many smelly ‘presents’ whilst digging up your favourite rose bush (for the strangest reasons, they strongly believe it makes a lovely natural litter box space),
• scare/kill the little birds nesting or bathing in the bird bath,
• sneakily inch closer and closer to your opened window with each unwelcomed repeating visit (presumably to try to make their way into the house unnoticed?), and
• not to mention drive your dogs bark raving mad till they knock (and break) things over the house in the heat of their excitement?

Sounds familiar? Well welcome to my world and the annoying living nightmare- that of myself and my fellow neighbours.

So what can we do to effectively keep the strays out of our gardens while sustaining the following rules:

• Being Humane
• Keeping it eco-friendly

The absolute No-No Methods:

• Poisoning the cats and indirectly the environment (seeps into the ground) and other unsuspecting animals with moth balls.
• The use of commercial cat repellents because they contain toxic chemicals that will endanger not just the cat but also the environment
• Cat traps – You can say this is debatable but I’m not a fan of this method because I’m not sure a trap can ever be considered humane with the   trauma it causes the animal and all.
• Water sprinklers are a commonly used method but on second thought it might not be such a great idea because if not used well it would lead to substantial wastage of water.

The No Harm to Give it a Go animal friendly and green Methods

• A spray mixture of vinegar with white pepper and cayenne pepper wards cats and would not be deadly if ingested. In fact a wiff of it would set them running.
• Get your green thumbs working by plating deterrent plants such as Rue because Rue as a naturally strong scented evergreen shrub will make an attractive garden accent, yet keep the cats far away. Some people would say that Thorny roses also deter cats, but I think they’ve outsmarted that trick.
• Call in the experts – no not exterminators, but the animal shelter to take them away.  The strays are only wondering about your garden because they have no home of their own. In fact having them run around loose is more of harm to themselves then it is to you or me. They either die slowly and painfully from hunger or disease or end up getting run over in traffic.  At least at an animal shelter they’ll have a nice roof over their head, some food and a real chance at finding a home. Of course I’d look into making sure the animal shelter has a policy against putting healthy animals down before calling on them.

Factually weddings are one of the largest consumers and indirectly drivers of cut flowers industry.  Depending on the grandeur of event, flowers can be consumed as decor of the event by the tonnes; which end up costing the happy couple thousands of dollars at a time and at the same time, irreversible damage through the flower farming use of toxic pesticides and emission producing transportation. The toxic chemicals used will seep into the soil and water and from your flowers into the air they breathe inside your home, thereby silently raining death through its beauty.

The most common eco and healthier solutions are substituting conventional fresh cut flowers for the use of organic silk flowers or organic/sustainably grown flowers. But there are still alternatives to the two aforementioned ones.

Organic silk flowers are artificial man-made flowers. Don’t mistaken these for being cheap looking ones that will degrade the stateliness of your wedding or go light on the wallet because these won’t. There is beautifully hand sewn ones that mimic the soft tender beauty of real flowers. In fact some even come scent with the scent of real flowers. Etsy has some nice ones you can consider

But if artificial flowers aren’t your cup of tea and you love authenticity then organic flowers would be your thing. But there are many misleading representation of what is organic or sustainable so look out for a VeriFlora Certified label on fresh cut flowers and potted plants, because it will let know you are buying products that meet America’s most comprehensive sustainability standard.

Alternatively, you could consider using natural materials such as Kimberly Aurora of Romantic Flowers does with her beautiful handmade bouquets. Amongst the diversified natural elements she uses in her creation are shells, silk ribbons, feathers and pinecones. Her creations are absolutely breathtaking and unique – no two are ever alike. She even makes matching bridal hairpieces and the best part is, they are at affordable prices. I would describe her bouquets to be romantic and dreamlike. Definitely my cup of tea and something I’m considering incorporating into my own wedding.

Babies, lambs, piglets, little baby fishes (fingerling), puppies, kittens, cubs, cherry tomatoes, baby pumpkins, baby carrots (do you see the pattern and where this is all leading?) and all other young ones (flora and fauna included) melt our hearts with their undeniable adorability. Perhaps it is something about their built – how they are all structured as perfect minuscule versions of adults. Everything in mini is always as cute as a button.

But sadly, eye candy and heart melter aren’t all these little minis (talking strictly in terms of animals and vegetables) end up being because among the lovers of culinary delights, little minis are also prime delicacy.  Renowned for being juicy and tender – both key characteristics of good ingredients the young and immature are harvested before their time to satisfy the taste buds of food connoisseurs.

Now there’s two prominent ways in which this ‘delicacy of youths/babies’ impacts the world.

The first way is a through a confined society of animal lovers who would scream in horror at the sight of the young ones being dressed up for a dish. This is perhaps the loudest of protests we hear over the use of the young and immature ingredients (especially if they are farmed for that cause).

The second way is actually the most severe of impact and it will affect everyone through the shift of balance in the eco-system. Think about it, if our young are our future…would it not be logic to assume that the young of both animals (marine life included) and plants (like wild ginseng) to be their future as well? If we continue to harvest and consume them faster than they can grow, what will be left to continue the species/breed? And appreciating how appreciating how all lives on earth are co-related, the extinction of one species will slowly but surely lead to the extinction of another creating a disaster bound domino effect.

Yet all it takes for us to avoid creating the demise of the world’s precious and irreplaceable flora and fauna is simply that simple choice we make to say no to having minis on your plate.          

Note: This article was written to be directed at immature food sources harvested directly from the wild and not the controlled environment of a farm. The fact that we have among us those with a taste for ‘exotic” food only encourages the problem because already they have created a demand now their adding preference to it.