Archive for May, 2009

Cilantro is a very fast growing herb which can be grown just about anywhere. It is a relative of the carrot family and is sometimes called Chinese parsley and Coriander. Cilantro actually is the leaves and stems of the Coriander plant.

It has a very strong unique odor and is relied on heavily for Mexican, Asian, and Caribbean cuisine. Cilantro also resembles Parsley which is not surprising since the two are related. For thousands of years Cilantro has been around, first in Egypt, India, and China and then it was introduced to Mexico and Peru where it is still used with chilies when making masterful food dishes. It has since become very popular in certain parts of the United States as well. Today, Cilantro has lost its popularity in Europe as most Europeans are repulsed by the very smell of it.

Cilantro is a Greek word that means “koris” which in English means bedbug oddly enough because it is said by many that Cilantro smells like a bedbug. The Chinese did not seem to mind because they add Cilantro to their various love potions because to them it symbolizes immortality and has aphrodisiac properties to it. Many also say that it is an appetite stimulant. Cilantro is very easy to find in pretty much any local grocery store or fruit market any time of the year.

Cilantro has an interesting history to it and has showed up many times throughout history. Keep in mind that Cilantro is also in part Coriander, and some seeds were found in King Tut’s tomb. It is also mentioned in the Old Testament and was used by physicians dated back as far as Hippocrates. The Ancient Egyptians used Cilantro for such things as headaches and urinary tract infections.

Cilantro can also mask the scent of rotting meat and it was used for that purpose quite frequently by earlier cultures. It would be fair to say that Cilantro is an herbal plant that has two identities since Cilantro is what the plant is referred to in its earliest stages and when it is fully developed it then becomes Coriander. Cilantro grows very quickly but also dies very quickly but it can easy grow in a pot on your windowsill. It is always best to harvest Cilantro before it bolts or blooms. If you wait too long to harvest Cilantro what will happen is that you will be harvesting Coriander because it will then be all seed.

Today, Cilantro can be found just about anywhere in the United States and is a garnish on almost every plate served in an upscale restaurant. The odd thing about Cilantro is that most people either love it or they hate it, usually there is no in between.

Those who hate it claim that it has a soapy taste while those who love it claim that it is a strong taste that Cilantro delivers but they do enjoy it pungency. Cilantro is sold as fresh and if you find it in a dried form do not waste your time with it because drying it causes it to lose its entire flavor.

If you have a problem with birds, you have probably tried many solutions. Some of the most popular include plastic animals, scarecrows, wind chimes, or highly reflective tape. All of these things can do a great job of reducing bird problems. I have quite a few cherry trees in my backyard, and I used to struggle a lot with birds. After I applied all of these solutions, my problem went almost completely away. Unfortunately, the solution only lasted a few months.

Apparently, birds have a natural tendency to get bolder as time goes by. While at first my scarecrow scared them senseless, now I look outside and see them sitting on his shoulder. And munching on cherries from my tree. Those insolent little fiends! I’m not saying I mind birds. I love having them around my yard. But you see, I’ve already designated one tree specifically for allowing birds to eat off of. But it seems that birds can’t be content with what they’re given. They always feel the need to go over to my own trees when there is a tree just for them that doesn’t have any scary things around it.

I saw many gardening stores marketing a type of bird netting. I decided to use it. Bird netting is basically a giant net that you throw over the entire tree. The holes are about one half of an inch wide. I purchased enough of this to cover one whole tree. It was quite a hassle to install, but it definitely worked after that. I didn’t have any more problems with birds taking cherries from that tree. But one day I woke up and made my daily rounds. On that day, I found 2 birds caught in the netting that had been choked to death. I felt absolutely terrible. I buried the birds and immediately took down that netting. I didn’t want to protect my tree at the cost of the birds’ lives! Sure, I’ll kill off a few bugs, but birds are a little too nice for me.

For a while I felt too guilty to prevent the birds from eating any more. I thought that I would make it up to them by letting them feast on my cherries. I even took down my scarecrow. But a few months later I saw something in a fabric store that made me rethink my generosity. Almost every fabric store sells a material called “tulle”. It is very fine netting with holes too small for any bird to fit its beak or head into. While it is easy to find, it is also extremely cheap. Buying enough to cover one tree ended up costing less than half of what it cost for the lethal bird netting.

I installed the tulle onto my tree (I’ll admit it was a lot harder to install than the bird netting was. I had to attach several large pieces together at the seams) and watched it for a day. I wanted to keep an eye on it every second, so that if a bird got caught I could quickly help it out. Fortunately, no bird ever got caught. Tulle is a much safer and cheaper alternative to bird netting, and I suggest it if you have any problems with birds. Just remember to let them have at least one tree for themselves! Sharing with birds is an essential part of being a good gardener.

If your current planting goals involve plants that require good water drainage, I am sure you know how frustrating it is to have a yard that just won’t cooperate. Some plants can handle the excess water that comes about from being in an area that doesn’t drain properly. In fact, it might just cause them to bloom more lushly. However, other plants don’t cope as well, and it will cause them to die a gruesome, bloated death. You should always find out about the drainage required for every plant you buy, and make sure that it won’t conflict with any of the areas you are considering planting it in.

In order to test how much water your designated patch of soil will retain, dig a hole approximately ten inches deep. Fill it with water, and come back in a day when all the water had disappeared. Fill it back up again. If the 2nd hole full of water isn’t gone in 10 hours, your soil has a low saturation point. This means that when water soaks into it, it will stick around for a long time before dissipating. This is unacceptable for almost any plant, and you are going to have to do something to remedy it if you want your plants to survive.

The usual method for improving drainage in your garden is to create a raised bed. This involves creating a border for a small bed, and adding enough soil and compost to it to raise it above the rest of the yard by at least 5 inches. You’ll be amazed at how much your water drainage will be improved by this small modification. If you’re planning to build a raised bed, your prospective area is either on grass or on dirt. For each of these situations, you should build it slightly differently.

If you want to start a raised garden in a non grassy area, you won’t have much trouble. Just find some sort of border to retain the dirt you will be adding. I’ve found that there is nothing that works quite as well as a few two by fours. After you’ve created the wall, you must put in the proper amount soil and steer manure. Depending on how long you plan to wait before planting, you will want to adjust the ratio to allow for any deteriorating that may occur.

If you’re trying to install a raised bed where sod already exists, you will have a slightly more difficult time. You will need to cut the sod around the perimeter of the garden, and flip it over. This may sound simple, but you will need something with a very sharp edge to slice the edges of the sod and get under it. Once you have turned it all upside down, it is best to add a layer of straw to discourage the grass from growing back up. After the layer of straw, simply add all the soil and steer manure that a normal garden would need.

Planting your plants in your new area shouldn’t pose much difficulty. It is essentially the same process as your usual planting session. Just be sure that the roots don’t extent too far into the original ground level. The whole point of creating the raised bed is to keep the roots out of the soil which saturates easily. Having long roots that extend that far completely destroys the point.

Once you have plants in your new bed, you’ll notice an almost immediate improvement. The added soil facilitates better root development. At the same time, evaporation is prevented and decomposition is discouraged. All of these things added together makes for an ideal environment for almost any plant to grow in. So don’t be intimidated by the thought of adjusting the very topography of your yard. It is a simple process as I’m sure you’ve realized, and the long term results are worth every bit of work.

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When it comes to gift giving nothing is more valuable than
a gift that can be enjoyed for years to come and supplies
satisfaction with every bite.

Gardening gifts are very popular and they are less
expensive than buying something for someone that they
probably would not use.

When you give gardening gifts you can personalize that gift
to suit the interest of the one receiving the gift.

For example, if someone enjoys cooking and eating Italian
dishes, you may want to give them an indoor herb garden
that features herbs such as oregano, basil, and cilantro.

You can add other herbs that would be great to compliment
any Italian dish. This gift will allow them to enjoy their
Italian dishes more because they can use the fresh herbs
instead of the dried herbs bought at the stores.

Another great gardening gift would be to buy a mini
greenhouse and stock it up with plant seeds, watering can
and soil that they can put together when they are ready to
grow their own garden.

They may be able to plant enough seeds to sow an entire
garden for the planting season and your gift may give them
enough food to can and preserve throughout the winter.

Gardening gifts is a great way to let someone know how much
you care about them. It is simple but can last them as long
as they want to grow their own food.

Herbs also have another benefit to them. They can be used
in teas, foods and other ways in order to help heal the
body of ailments that may be causing pain or discomfort.

During ancient times, the Chinese have studied and proved the medicinal properties and benefits of green tea. It is found that green tea has many health benefits compared to other food or drinks. It is used by the Chinese people to cure simple headaches to depression. Green tea had been used as medicine for 4,000 years proving only that it is one of the most common remedy among many illness.

Facts about Green Tea

• Reduces the risk of having cancer by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells especially on the colon, pancreas, rectum, bladder, esophagus, and stomach without harming healthy cells

• Helpful for those who have rheumatoid arthritis

• Reduce the risk of having hypertension and elevated blood pressure

• Reduces the cholesterol level in the body

• Increases metabolism

• Helps body to fight viruses and bacteria by improving the defense action of the immune system

• Reduces the process of thrombosis which helps reduce heart attacks and strokes

• Green tea also helps destroy free radicals

• Helps in reducing fatigue and stress due to its calming action

• Fights cardio vascular diseases

• Green tea is also known for its antibacterial anti viral properties

• The secret of green tea is its catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin (EGCG) which is a powerful anti oxidants

• EGCG is twice as powerful as reservatol whose action is to lower the incidence of heart disease

• Green tea comes from Camelia sinesis plant

• What sets green tea apart from other tea is the way it was processed, green tea leaves are steamed which prevents the important contents from being oxidized

• By contrast other tea brands are made from fermented tea leaves; as a result the other components are converted into other compounds that are not as effective as that of green tea

• New evidence suggests that green tea helps dieters by eliminating fat from the body and helps the body burn more calories compared to caffeine or a placebo

• Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay

• The bacterial actions of green tea can help prevent food poisoning

• Wide variety of beauty products now contains green tea are available in the market that claims to have great effect in beauty and wellness

• Green tea capsules are now available in health stores for those who don’t want to drink tea

• A cup of green tea contains caffeine level of 20 to 70 milligrams

• There are several kinds of green tea that are available in the market they differ on the amount of caffeine content

Harmful effects

To the present study and research green tea have proven a lot of benefits and medicinal properties but when it comes to harmful effects of green tea had been reported to contribute to insomnia or difficulty of sleep experienced by users. Green tea is advised to be taken at least 3 to 4 cups daily and not to be taken as substitute for water.

Caffeine is the ingredient found in green tea that contributes to sleeping difficulty but its caffeine contents is less compared to that of coffee and black tea. Other components of green tea must also be controlled for it can contribute to liver problems.

For pregnant mothers and for under medications it is important to ask your doctor before consuming the beverage for some components of green tea might have reactions with other compounds found in medications.