TipsFromtheGarden-HibiscusTea-

TipsFromtheGarden-
HibiscusTea-

For Our Saturdays Tips From the Garden

We are going to learn how the Hibiscus Flower can make an great

Natural Tea; and help with health issues too. 

I found that the Hibiscus Flowers
which are a perennial tropical plant-flower
so you can grow these beauty's in the U.S.
However, they need to be grown near the Sunny Belt and
Hawaii. Later in the post I will talk more about how &
where to grow your own Hibiscus Plants.
But First; I would like to show the health benefits,
In Recent studies, folks who have grown
theses beautiful flowers make a wonder tea that can lower you blood pressure as effectively as some of your own standard drugs that your doctors give you for you high-blood pressure!
The Hibiscus come in a wide variety colors and plants which are consumed all over
the world. As a ruby-colored lemon beverage. Hibiscus is safe and unlike most
blood pressure drugs, rarely cause side effects if any! Plus the Hibiscus plants
can be grown in much of the United States, so you can actually grow your own
blood pressure medicine!

Besides blood-pressure medicine the Hibiscus flower Infusion 50g - can reduced

blood vitamin C content of flavonoids and risk of free radical scavenger, also strengthens
the immune system a beneficial effect on the function of the heart and vascular
diseases, kidney and liver reduces appetite the case against respiratory infections too.

There is another group of folks that believe that a healthy head of hair begins with
a healthy scalp. Also Cold and hot temperatures, stress and hair products can create
an imbalance of the levels of moisture in your natural oils of your hair and scalp.
They feel by using their product the hibiscus flower you will refresh your
scalp so that it will add a luster to your hair and you will have no more dandruff or
itchy scalp. The ingredients; pour 12-ounce of boiling water over 1 tablespoon of your
dried hibiscus flowers in a heatproof measuring cup or large mug. Then Cover
the mug with your saucer to allow it to steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
After it has steep for at least 15 minutes or more, let your tea completely cool, pour
over your freshly washed and conditioned scalp and hair. Style and usual, rinse
with cool water until the water runs clear. From what I found from these folks you continue
to do this treatment until your hair, scalp fill healthy . So you might give it a try!
~About the Hibiscus Flower~
The Hibiscus (Hibiscus Sabdariffa) has been used to treat high blood pressure
in both Africa and Asian Traditional medicines. In 1996, it is said that researchers in
Nigeria confirmed this age-old wisdom by showing that the hibiscus flower does
reduced blood pressure in laboratory animals; note lets hope the animals were harmed!!!
Soon after it  seems that the researchers in Iran showed the same
benefits with their folks too.
Even in Mexico they have found that the Hibiscus Flower - brewed from

10 grams of the crushed dried flowers which is about 5 teaspoons per
1 to 2 cups of water once a day. They say do this for about four weeks; then you
should see that the herb/dried flowers buds will have done as well as your
prescription drug that you take for your blood pressure.
In Mexico there was an study of two groups of people; 1-group used the
Hibiscus Tea 2-group used their regular meds. Both groups had a 11% drop in
their blood pressure even the ones that just used the Hibiscus Tea. So it kinda
make you think! However, with all medications, allergies, reactions to medications,
you should always talk to your doctor about this First!
~Growing Your Own Hibiscus Flower~

The Hibiscus is a perennial Flower tropical plant, so you all may think that
growing these beauty,s would be limited to the warmer climates of the world or
Hawaii. Well not so! There are other places you can grow these beauty's!
In the United States; there is Southerner Exposure Seed Exchange in Mineral, Va;
For American growers the 'Thai Red Roselle' is an variety of the Hibiscus
which thrives as an annual as far north as New Jersey.
These beautiful flower have dark green leaves that develop red veins and undersides
as they age. The stems and branches are also dark red.
The temperate Zones of these beauty's variety. You should started your
Hibiscus flowers in Pots just like your would your starter tomatoes. When the
Seedling are about 3 to 5 inching high you can transplant into a sunny place in the
ground if you like. However, you can keep them in Pots like I would. If you would
rather keep them in the ground, find a sunny spot, spare your new plants 3 feet
apart in rows 5 feet apart. This variety will help with growth, also use organic
soil to help with your plants. Delay the planting to late in the season
may make it so the Hibiscus wont bloom within that year.
~More Help In Growing the Hibiscus Moscheutos~
More commonly called the Hardy hibiscus and sometimes called
'rose mallows' or 'swamp mallows.' Yet my personal preference of calling it
'The Hibiscus Flower'
I love this flower because it reminds me of my family in Hawaii, and all tropical Island
type of places. It is a beautiful flower that the hummingbird and bees love and they come
in so many different colors too. And what I just discovered in writing this post today
that they can be helpful in health issues too!
~Plant Type~
Although hardy hibiscus plants are woody in summer and function as sub-shrubs in the landscape, their stems can die back to the ground in winter, making them technically herbaceous perennials.
~Characteristics of the Plant~
Bloom size can reach 10 inches for such cultivates such as ‘Galaxy’.   Even cultivates with smaller blooms still produce impressive, saucer-size flowers.  While each bloom lives only a day or two, they are quickly replaced by newcomers.
~Hardiness Zones~
The species plant is indigenous to eastern North America.   Hibiscus moscheutos cultivates can be grown in planting zones 4-9.
~Light Requirements~
Plants thrive in full sun and in an average-to-wet soil.
~Plant Care~
Make sure plants are adequately watered. Because the blossoms are so large deadheading is recommended after blooming.
~Many different Uses for the Hibiscus Flower~
Hardy hibiscus plants will typically bloom in late July or early August in northern climates here in the Seattle bloom in late July). This feature makes them valuable specimen plant in landscaping plans that strive for spring-to-fall color, since fewer flowering shrubs bloom at this time.  The species plant is a wetland plant, and hardy hibiscus flowers can be treated as plants for wet soils. This makes them useful around water features. Hibiscus can also be used to attract butterflies/hummingbirds too.
~Many different kinds~
There are many different kinds of the Hibiscus Flower
They come in a vary of size, color and leaf shape too. There are;
Pink, lavender,red, white, yellow, Orange and even some are
mixed colors too.
~Soil Conditions~
The hibiscuses require a rich, well-drained soil that stays moist. They will survive in a normal soil with additional watering. Because of their ability to withstand boggy soils, hardy hibiscuses are often used as a necessity in landscapes where the lawn holds additional water, such as low spots or around water features.
~Maintaining your Hibiscuses~
The Hibiscus with its long stems and beautiful flowers will die off
in the winter, but their roots will send up new shoots the following spring.
You might want to cut the tall stalks in the late fall or early spring if
you don't enjoy looking at the bare stalks sticking above the grass during the winter.

HERE ARE A FEW GREAT IMAGES FOR YOU ALL!

Well I hope that you enjoy the post on the 

Hibiscus Flower I love you all very much

~YOUR WENDY~

Izumo Dragon

 Izumo Dragon~

The Japanese Deities in the Heavens 

Good Afternoon my dear Friends and Followers I have a new post about another Dragon from Japan. It is from ancient Japan Culture that this story comes from.. I hope that you all will Enjoy the Tale. It says in the ancient Japanese scripture that the Kojiki, after Susa-no-O is expelled from the Heavens, he encounters two Kuni-tsu-Kami(earthly deities) near the head of the Hi River in Izumo Province. These two Deities of the Heavens, Kuni-tusu-Kami are weeping because they had to give the sinister Orochi one of their daughters once every year(which was sacrificed as all their daughters were) and now they must sacrifice their eighth and last daughter to the Evil Orochi; whose name was Kushi-inada-hime. But this time the Sinister Orochi who dominated a certain area of Japan in this ancient time, which some say was the Izumo Province demanded Virgin sacrifices this time.   This is a more shorter version of the tale I will continue with the longer version too. So what happens next is; Susa-no-O asks for Kushi-inada-hime's hand in marriage and them he transforms her into a comb(kushi) which he then places into his hair. He then asks her parents to brew some sake that has been refined eight times and then builds a round enclosure with eight gates around that. Each has a platform for each sake vat. They would all together and help fill the sake vats and then wait, it wasn't that long to wait for the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

Showing the Izumo Dragon
Drinking from the Sake Vats

Evil Orochi to appear. He dips his head into each of the vats and is soon intoxicated, allowing Susa-no-O to cut him into pieces. When he cuts the middle tail, his sword is chipped and there he finds the legendary sword;
Some version call the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi is called - Kusanagi-no-Tsunegi which means in English ' The Grass-Cutting Sword'.  This Sword was given to Amaterasu, Susano- sister, who is the Japanese Goddess of the Sun. She then gave it to her descendants on Earth, the Emperor, form that point on it is said that it has been kept as one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Yamato.
How for the longer version which I thought you all might Enjoy!
I am sorry I wasn't able to find very many images for this post. But then again this is an ancient legend of Japan, from centuries ago so that could be one of the reasons why. The story begins after Amaterasu Omikami, the Japaneses Sun Goddess, was picked by her father, Izanagi-no-Mikoto(the Japanese Adam) to succeed him as the divine sovereign. All went well until Amaterasus recalcitrant brother, Susano challenged his sister to rule over the cosmos-Nihonshoki,  so in order to settle the controversy they the brother and sister performed a grand divination in which each deity magically spat out offspring; This is how the legend of the Izumo Dragon started and the magick sword too. So this is how it worked, with the pieces of Amaterasu-Susano initial sword and his sister goddesses of the Sun magatama or fertility jewel, the God was able to produced more children than his sister. However, Amaterasu-Susano brood produced more males, so his sister was adjudged the winner by the assembled gods. This didn't stop Susano, he refused to accept defeat from his sister and the assembled gods. So he stamped down on the dikes between the divine rice paddies and threw a piebald horse into the divine weaving hut thereby killing one of his sisters handmaidens. Well this was the end of that ever kinda relationship Amaterasu Omikami  had with her brother. After he killed one of her beloved handmaidens out of anger she withdrew from the heavens into
'THE CAVE OF DARKNESS'. However, she was tricked into reemerging from the cave, from her fellow deities, after insisting that she banish her brother Susano from the Heavens.
This is how the story of the famous dragon sword came about between the to siblings - The God Amaterasu-Susano of the night sky's and his sister the Goddesses-Omikami of of the Sun magatama and fertility.
When Amaterasu-Susano arrived to Earth near the headwaters of the HI river, which is now the northern part of the island of Kyushu, he noticed a pair of chopsticks were floating downstream so he decided to investigate,  being the curious God that he was. Once he got to the opposite end of the river he soon found a beautiful young maiden and her parents crying by the side of the stream. When he inquired as to why they were so sad, he learned that the girl (Kusa-Nada-hime/'Rice Paddy Princess), would soon be the latest offering/sacrifice to the ravenous eight-headed, eight-tailed dragon monster that they all called the~
YAMATA NO OROCHI ~ WHICH IN ENGLISH IS CALLED 'EIGHT-TAILED DRAGON' who was terrorizing the region of Japan. So as the tale goes~ The God Amaterasu-Susano then identified himself to the family and then he asked the doomed girls parents to bring him a large tub. Since they were desperate  to save their child they did as the God Amaterasu-Susano said hoping he could save their child from the sacrifice to the monster. So what the God Susano did was to ask the parents for their finest sake, and then filled the tub with the sake, Then being a God he was able to have the power to turn the beautiful young maiden Kusa-nada-hime or Rice Paddy Princess into a comb, which he inserted into his hair. Then he told the girls parents to hide. When the monster dragon finally did appear - all of his eight heads immediately began to drink the fine sake. You see all people and even monsters love the sake of the rice paddy of japan. The Creature drank so much of the sake he became very drunk almost dead like, so it was very easy for the God Susano to slay him. So when the God Susano hacked and slayed the dead drunk monster dragon, he started with one of the many tails and discovered a wondrous, magically sword, which he named the 'Mura-kumo-no-Tsurugi or 'Assembled Clouds Sword'. It was also called Kojiki Nihonshoki too. All of this was actually done for an peace offering to his divine sister.
Kinda makes you wonder what his true intentions really were when he was helping the young maiden and her parents. So back the the tale; once Susano had sent the sword up to his divine sister as a peace offering,  He restored the beautiful young maiden Kusa-nada-hime to a human form and married her. Even though he was a God, took up residence in a palace at Suga near the site of the Izumo Taisha Shrine in Shimane Prefecture. Well the tale doesn't end there, two generations later, when the Goddesses Amaterasu-Omikami, the Japaneses Sun Goddess sent her grandson, Honinigi, to claim the Reed Plain on her behalf, Honinigi brought with him three talismans of divine sovereignty; the Mirror, in which Amaterasu-Omikami thought she saw another Sun Goddess and was tricked into leaving the CAVE OF DARKNESS, the divine MAGATAMA, THAT IS, A FERTILITY JEWEL SIMILAR TO THE ONE THE GOD SUSANO HAD CHEWED UP DURING THE AFOREMENTIONED GRAND DIVINATION AND FINALLY LASTLY THE MURA-KUMO SWORD.
[note; if you are curious the monster at the times in ancient Japan was described besides the eight heads and tails, he also had eyes as red as winter-cherries. It was so long that its body would extend over eight valleys and eight hills, and its belly is always bloody and inflamed. Its back was covered with hikage(club-moss), hinoki(Japanese cypress) and sugi(Japanese cedar). I thought you all might like a clear description of the monster...]

So on with the tale- Although I couldn't find where it the Goddess Amaterasu-Omikami of the Divine Heavens and Sun, grandson Honinigi was able to claim the Reed Plain on her behalf; I did find when Honinigi's great-grandson; Jimmu Tenno and his warriors marched on an conquest from the Island of Kyushu along the north-coast of the Island Sea to Yamato, where Jimmu Tenno became the first Emperor of Japan. It seems that several generations of the line of Jimmu Tenno all played an wondrous and major part in Japanese culture, with the grand sword of the Izumo Dragon. Well I have more to tell you about this tale but it is getting a bit long so I will continue this with the Saga of the Yamato-takeru the Japan's greatest epic hero. 

I will try and get the Saga of the Yamato-Takeru out as soon as 

I can my dear Friends & Followers I love you all and I hope you all

Enjoy the tale in Ancient Japan 

YOUR WENDY

TipsFromtheGarden~RecyleYourBrokenTerraCottaPots-

TipsFromtheGarden~
RecyleYourBrokenTerraCottaPots~

An used Terra-Cotta
Pot with over-grown wild flowers

Good afternoon My dear Friends & Follower I hope you are all

doing Well! I am doing better everyday now with the weather starting to 

get into early spring here in Seattle WA.  Its been in the 50degrees for the last 

couple of weeks. Also my bulbs for my daffodils and purple iris have 

started  to bloom! My purple lilac is starting to bloom too!

So when they all start blooming I'll post pictures of them all. 

For today's post I have some hints to recycling 

your broken - Terra-Cotta Pots.

Because when It comes to salvaging broken Terra-Cotta pots, 

using the shards to cover other types of pots drainage holes there isn't 

any better way to recycle these old Terra-cotta pots in my option. 

~Some other creative Ideas too~ 

 1~Topsy-Turvy container gardens - stack damaged pots

at angles to form the basis for a lush, over grown display.

Trailing plants looking stunning this way.

2~Mulch-Crush them into gravel size pebbles and spread over soil to 

stifle weed growth. 

3~Row Markers- Glue pieces to chopsticks and paint names 

for instant identification. 

4~Mosaics - save up your shards and design a garden border

or pathway for your garden too ( don't forget the wear gloves)

5~Toad abode - Half a pot nestled in a flower bed is a convenient 

shelter for these tiny critters and provide free pest control too. 

So I hope that this post will help with so great idea with 

your Broken Terra-Cotta Pots!

I hope these images will help you too!

Terra-Cotta Fairy Garden from start to finish

Fairy Garden

Path of different colors of Terra-Cotta Pieces 

I will be adding a few images too to help

your all with the ideas too.  

Well I hope you Enjoy my Saturday Post

for today my dear Friends & Followers 

I love you all very much.. I wish you

all a very happy Saturday 

YOUR WENDY 

HUGSSSSS

LUTEY & THE MERMAID~

LUTEY & THE MERMAID~

The Mermaid hurt by the sharp rocks 

This is a charming tale of an fisherman from Cornwall and a Mermaid. I thought you might enjoy the tale. I know I did when I found the story. So just sit back and grab a good cup of warm coffee and a warm blanket and enjoy the tale and the music that I have on my blog.
The story starts with a an fisherman of Cornwall; in the ancient days of Cornwall Ireland the fisherman of the ships would search the shipwrecks on the beaches for valuables that would wash up a shore from all the fishing ships in the day. It seems in those days many of the fishing ships were taken by the cruel rocky coastlines.
One day the fisherman Lutey of Cury who lived near Lizard Point discovered a lovey & beautiful Mermaid that was stranded in one of the many tidepools among these rocky coastlines where the fisherman lost there own lives in their fishing ships. She looked like she had been hurt, from the sharp rocks that she was hanging from. Lutey couldn't see her face but he could tell she was very beautiful and needed help. It had looked like she had taken something to help, because there was a small crystal bottle on the sand near her and it was empty. Lutey did believe in mermaids and has seen them in the distance, but this was the first time he had seem one close-up and in trouble too. As he approached her Lutey discovered that indeed the mermaid was very beautiful and he had no problem with her trust to persuaded her to let him carry her down off the receding rock coastline to the sea below.

Lutey caring the Mermaid
to safety

 The closer Lutey was able to get the mermaid down of the spark rocks the more she began to trust the human man even more. She was snuggling Lutey by the time they were at the shoreline and she offered him three wishes for his kindness. Since Lutey was a good and kindly man, his first wish was; to have the power to break witch spells(black magick); second wish was the power to force witches familiars to do good to others; Finally the third wish; that these two powers be inherited by his descendants. The mermaid was very glad to grant all three wished to such a kindly and good man that had saved her from curtain death, because he had chosen wisely and unselfishly too. Besides the mermaid added two more gifts too his 3 wishes, First Gift; that none of his family should every want; Second Gift; was away for him to call her when in need by the use of her magic golden comb. Lutey thanked the mermaid and still carried her without effort and placed her toward the sea.

The Mermaid singing her siren kinda
sounds that mortal men can resist 

Now Lutey was a very handsome man and very strong too. Those wishes that he asked of the mermaid well there was more to this story; you see it seem that the mermaid began to wish that the fisherman, an mortal handsome man might see her more in a romantic way. How the mermaid was indeed a most beautiful creature herself. However she didn't quite know how to get the human to get him to see her in a more romantic way. Then it came to her, her voice of song. It can melt anyone heart and make anyone follow the sound of her sounds...  So when the two finally came to the edge of the crashing waves of the sea, the mermaid began to plead with the fisherman Lutey to come with her into her world under the sea. At his point she had her hands and arms around his neck. She was quite healthy and healed from her wounds from the spark rocks, so her had him tightly about his neck when she was pleading with him to come with her to the underwater city with her. Lutey was just about to put her into the sea gently, when the mermaid's  voice was so gentle and the movement of her lithe body so sweet in his arms that Lutey started to forget his surroundings; the crashing ocean just in front of him, the depths of the sea cliff just under his feet; it was just a few more steps and he would be gone forever to the world that he knows, as he strides onward into the sea. If it wasn't for his dog barking frantically from the shoreline none stop and reminding Lutey of his own dear wife and children. However, by now the beautiful mermaid was clinging onto Lutey even more fiercely and tightly around his neck and she would have dragged him under to her world under the sea if Lutey hadn't unsheathed his knife and threatened her with it. merfolk, so she jumped out of Lutey arms, dashed away into the crashing waves, calling back to him,

Mermaid saying goodbye and I will be
back in Nine years my Love!

This he didn't want to do but he had to because he didn't want to leave his family. and the mermaid ~ The knife was made of iron, and metal which is repulsive to
'Farewell, farewell
and keep thee well, my love!
For nine long years I'll wait for thee
And hold thee in my heart, my love
And then I shall return!
Lutey's wishes did all come true and his family and descendant's all became famous healers too. Plus the mermaids promise also came true, nine years to the day she said it. He was our fishing with one of his many sons and she rose high in the water that was as green as her big beautiful green eyes were. She shook her very long black hair to beckon Lutey.
Lutey turned to his son and said' Its time, my son I must pay my debt' Yet he didn't seem in the least unhappy as he jump of the pier into the green depths with his silvery voice love.

It is said also that since that day , every nine years an Lutey of Cury would be lost at sea. Know one really knows if they are as lucky as the first Lutey being a joyous one, but one hopes that they all joy the underworld of mermaids where the first Lutey is to live a very happy life. I hope that you all Enjoy the tale of the Mermaid and the fisherman Lutey of Cury. 

I love you all my dear Friends & Follower 

YOUR WENDY