MLK Quote

MLK Quote

Nature's Inspiration Movie

http://www.flickspire.com/m/HealthierL433/NaturesInspiration -- Nature's Inspiration Movie: The photographs in this short video are from award-winning photographer, Ken Jenkins, and they are breathtaking. However, this video is much more than beautiful photographs! Peggy Anderson has compiled beautiful quotations from the likes of Emerson, Thoreau, and many others that truly capture the beauty of nature and solitude. Absolute must watch for nature lovers.

Monday, January 8, 2018

An Unusual Vegetable Plant And A Big Thank You

Do you know of an animal that is indestructible? Neither space, nor radiation, atomic blast, high pressure or temperature as low as minus 325 degree Fahrenheit can kill it? If you don't know about it, then learn about such an animal -- Tardigrades -- here. I think I have a similar plant which is nutritious, beneficial and can be thus eaten. It's almost indestructible unless of course one burns it down or put it outside in freezing temperature. It is called Longevity Spinach, Gynura Procumbens.

House Plant: The plant has reddish stem, and big dark-green oval leaves. It can be grown in a small pot (and of course in a big pot or in ground). It can be grown as a tree (with hard-stem), or as a vine (if you let it grow and don't chop it off), and as a shrub (if you trim it and also grow side-shoots). It can also be grown in a hanging-basket. As the leaves mature, the underside of the leaves become rich burgundy in color. Thus, it can be grown as just a house-plant if you don't want to eat it. It can be grown in both sun and real-shade. In fact, the leaves taste better if grown in shade.


Food: It's name give out its real importance -- it is an extremely beneficial plant for our health. The plant is originally from China and South-east Asia. It can also be found in certain regions of Africa. Natural doctors (folk-medicine) in both Asia and Africa have long used this plant as cure against many diseases. It has high anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-carcinogenic properties, and contains many beneficial alkaloid and steroids. Modern medicine has found it to lower blood-pressure, blood-cholesterol, blood-fat and blood-sugar.

How to eat it: It can be eaten both raw and cooked. It has a very nice fragrance but of course one needs to like that fragrance (much like how some people like the fragrance of Cilantro; others hate it and like that of Parsley). I chop off the leaves and tender stems in manageable pieces and saute them with garlic and salt (just like 1-2 minutes on low-medium heat) and eat. One can put fish or meat in the saute; or put the leaves in soup/stew.
Propagate: To prepare the dish, I cut down branches as shown in the picture above. Those stems that are not tender, I put them either in soil directly or in water. And, voila! after about ten days, they start growing roots and leaves. Here I have put them in water (as I am experimenting) but most of them time, I do not put them in water. Just put them in soil; they do not need any rooting hormone or anything. They will just grow and become another tree/vine/plant/shrub, depending on how you are trimming them. That's why I called it AN INDESTRUCTIBLE PLANT.







A BIG THANK YOU to all of you who wished good luck for my fur-baby. He literally gave us a heart-attack with extreme drooling and complete loss of balance. We thought he had a stroke; or brain tumor, which we were not aware of, suddenly ruptured, and we would lose him. But, luckily (may he live for another twenty more years, fingers-crossed, wood touched) it was just vestibular infection or in layman tongue -- middle ear infection. He is on medication and recovering.


I'm joining in the memes hosted by Rambling WoodsSt Germain's .

13 comments:

  1. What a relief about your doggie! And the longevity Spinach- wow, I should try it, if I can find it (Lowe is the only store in the area that has a nursery - probably would have more chance finding something in Sacramento!) What an interesting post!
    A little reminder, ALL SEASONS is back this week to log in from Sunday through Wednesday 7 pm,
    and there's also a post I posted Jan 5th of the WEEKEND JOURNAL PAGE about an art project.

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  2. Hello, the plant is new to me but sounds great. I am glad your dog will be ok, a relief knowing what the problem was and it can be healed. Enjoy your day. Have a great new week!

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  3. Hi KL...I will link this post into Nature Notes...Yes that is me with my grandson..We had so much fun with him for a few days...I am so glad the dog is feeling better. We have ongoing issues with one of our 15 year old cats..I had never heard of that plants.. Cool!! ...Michelle

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  4. Am flattered by your faith in me to sell this cowl, but think about how much I made as a therapist before I retired, compared to what I could ask for this cowl - if I really would want to sell. Then painting could be more lucrative:)

    About watercolor, yes, it is considered "hard," unless you do it day in and day out. I don't want to make that commitment, because I like to paint paintings with a 1.2nd. or 3rd meaning - and that is much easier with the oil medium.

    Tried to resend my long reply email. Let me know if it arrived! Because yahoo,arranges the emails of the same people in batches, I had no clue how to resend it. I sent you a separate email with the perma link to the Weekend Journal Page, and the post from All Seasons is right below the latest post.
    Hope I answered all your comments:) Enjoy your week!

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  5. Thank you much for the adorable All Seasons link up!

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  6. It is always reassuring to discover a houseplant that I can't kill off. Even better to find one that I can eat and still not kill off. Houseplants shudder when I look at them, I swear! I am so pleased that your beautiful dog has recovered. Wishing you a happy, healthy new year.

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  7. What a great post! I love the interesting plant. Your snow shots are beautiful and I'm so glad your doggie is OK.
    You asked about the Wednesday around the World link on my blog: Yes, I (and several others) host it every week. Any post will do, it doesn't have to be about the weather! Feel free to join up any time!

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  8. Great plant macro shots ~ Doggie 'steals the show' ~ ^_^

    Happy Weekend to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  9. And you call yourself a novice naturalist! Anyone who uses the word propagate is not a novice! Thanks for the interesting information on this plant - useful in so many ways. Glad your furbaby is going to make a full recovery (touch wood). Thanks for visiting my blog and your comments on the depth of information. I will answer your question on my blog, but in case you don't have time to go back - my secret to thorough information is to take pictures of the information signs or guidebooks! Have a splendid weekend!

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  10. I'm glad your fur-baby has recovered! I've never heard of that plant species (although, amazingly, I have heard of tardigrades). I did just acquire another plant in the same genus as your indestructible longevity spinach, however - Gynura aurantiaca. It's also grown as a house plant (and, in fact, I'm certain I owned one many, many years ago) but I understand that eating it isn't advisable as it prompts an allergic reaction in many people.

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  11. Yea, I know of that animal. Even survives outer space :)

    Nice plant.

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  12. Happy to know the pup is OK! I did not know about Long Spinach, but I use and cook Swiss Chard the same way you describe and we like it very much. It grows prolifically in most climates.

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  13. Very nice post really ! I apperciate your blog Thanks for sharing,keep sharing more blogs.

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