Aromatic Herbs for Indoors

For the past couple decades people have been spreading the word on how indoors plants can help clean the air indoors. This is true ALL plants clean the air. I read an article the other day on 8 aromatic herbs that you can grow indoors to help purify the air. Now there were no references to any research, but it does make sense to me. Plants are a part of nature’s cleaning system.

This is a collection of some house plants which help clean the air in the room from pollution, bad smell and lower carbon dioxide naturally.

Some of them repel biting insects, other invite useful wasps that kill the parasites on the other plants.
Most of those plants below will live in perfect coexistence near each other (except the mint, if planted in the same box or pot).

They will also not grow too tall and wide, so you can fill small spaces around your windows and not risk stumbling upon them all the time.

Click on the linked plant name that follow for more information.

Rosemary

(Rosmarinus officinalis L.)
Some use this herb for cooking, other use it as a herbal tea.
As with all plants having needle-like leaves, the rosemary is evergreen and can be held indoors in the whole winter, still leaving pleasant aroma.
Most of the needle-leaved plants are very good purifiers, especially for humid winter air. They breathe carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. Rosemary is not an exception.

The most important function of this herb is its ability to improve cognitive function and shield the brain from free radicals.  And the presence of this plant in the room is enough in the long run. Rosemary still exhales some of its essential oils in the room (you don't need to boil it in a tea infusion to benefit from it).

NOTE: Add dried rosemary to your beef burgers (or any meat burgers) to combat carcinogens (cancer causing agents) and because it gives the burgers an even more fabulous taste. 

Tip from Pearl for using Rosemary:
“I try to add rosemary whenever I prepare charred or browned meat. Rosemary is a potent antioxidant. It combats the carcinogens (HCA’s) that are formed when meat is browned or gets charred and crusty. It’s a great idea to add rosemary any time you are trying to get a good crisp on meat but especially important when char grilling."

Lavender 

(Lavandula spica L.)

You need to check if you are not allergic first, but this herb makes very good house plant.

1. It is excellent insect repellent.
2. The aroma relaxes the lungs and helps for calmer night sleep.
3. The aroma (also) helps relax if you suffer from anxiety.

Basil

(Ocimum basilicum L.)
Basil is one well known herb and spice.
Naturally it is spread in Asia and North Africa but can easily be cultivated for all climates and domesticated.
Grows about 1-2 feet long with small white blossoms and wide leaves.

The fruit is small 4-seed nut that dries and drops by itself at autumn and can be reseeded in the next Spring. The rich aroma and the pleasant peppery taste are only one part of the coin. It can be also used as herbal tea and as all other plants will reduce the Carbon Dioxide in the room. Gather some leaves for the salad and leave enough smaller leaves for it to grow.

Mint

(Mentha spicatta L.)
The best herbal tea for winter.
The best plant for indoor planting.
There are many subspecies which are also called Mint. They include plants suitable with cooking with dry beans, plants suitable for baking meat, others suitable for extracting fragrant oils for perfumery and scent lamps and dozens more.
*They love sun and water but are incredibly easy to grow. The root is quite invasive and strong (smothers and kills other plants around the mint). 

 Jasmine

(Jasminum officinale L.)
Jasmine opens its flowers between 6 and 8 PM, when the temperature is lower. Having Jasmine aroma when dining is very pleasant.

Geranium

Geraniums, (Pelargoniums) are more than 200 kinds.
For all of them is valid:

• Excellent aroma if you can tolerate it.

  

  Rose Geranium

• Mosquitoes repellent.
• Don't attract most of the parasites which suck plants dry.
• Looks excellent when blooming.
• Purify air.
• A detached cutting can be grown by just re-planting it. Takes about a week to grow new roots.
• Don't need much care. Can live without water for 2 weeks in cold days.
• More sun = more blossoms.

Coffee plant

(Coffea arabica L.) CAN be domesticated easier than an avocado seedling.

There are above 120 subspecies Coffee plants, with sub-gene arabica being most famous and easy to grow at home. They are spread worldwide and you probably don't know how good this plant can be indoors.

If you are still not convinced or not having too much botanical knowledge - this is the best houseplant for beginners.
Even more: Rose geranium (Pelargonium roseum Willd.) can be used as a helpful herbal tea in Diabetes melitus (type 2). It lowers blood glucose levels very quick.

Woodbine

(Lonicera periclymenum L.) a.k.a. European honeysuckle or Common honeysuckle
This plant is very useful for indoor stairs, especially if your rooms have sufficient sunlight.
Regardless it is forest semi-parasitic plant growing over tree trunks, it can be domesticated and dwarfed.
You can grow it in pot with a wooden log or dry branch planted in the soil, so the vine can climb on it. It has very sweet scent, especially at night. Can be grown from a seed, and takes about 2 years to start blossoming indoors.

Cement Block Raised Bed

I've been thinking about updating my raised beds next year. I found a comment that says it is better to build with cement blocks and partially fill it with straw and black dirt on top. She used rebars and such to stabilize the blocks. I would consider cementing the blocks together also.  Top the sides with flat cement blocks to sit on when working in the beds. And you could use the PVC pipes as shown in the photo to help hold plastic up while it is a green-house in the spring - to start plants.  Then a trellis in the center would help with climbing plants or to stake plants to.   There is a lot one can do to make nice raised beds.  Here is what I plan to follow whenever I can afford to start building my new bed!

Want to know how to do this?  Here is a blog that tells the whole story, detail by detail.

Building a raised bed out of cinder blocks is easy and if you watch the local classified ads you can probably get the material for free. Also, cinder block raised beds have the added advantage of the holes in the block that can be filled with rocks, gravel and sand to create thermal mass for absorbing solar energy, in which the block stores heat and releases it back into the soil later in the evening.

Some people also fill the block cavities with soil and put an individual plant in each cavity. Plants that like to spread are great for this, plants like mint. etc...

NOTE: My thought is to leave it open on the corners so that mint, basil, catnip or maybe other herbs can be planted and not worry about them spreading. They would just come up every year. That would be nice!

adding stucco

The photo above shows how to be sure your garden is square. Your measurement should be the same corner to corner. NOTE: Make the bed no wider than 4-feet. This allows you to be able to reach the center from either side of the bed. Also, consider an irrigation line to the beds. This really helps when the weather decides not to cooperate. Think of how nice it'd be to turn on the spigot outside and the beds get that drink of water that they need. 

Also you can mortar or not, the higher you go the more you may need to, just make sure you stagger each layer. Another option is to hammer re-bar through the holes for support. I would personally mortar if I were going to use stucco because they may shift and that would cause cracking of your stucco finish.  NOTE: I feel it is best NOT to stucco the sides. Maybe paint or be creative otherwise and just use the rebar. My reasoning is, what if you want to move the bed sometime in the future or simply just want to skip the extra work of mortaring.  After all, 3 blocks high is a perfect height to sit down on and you can still just push rebar in to hold it together at that height. My opinion.

plain block raised beds

even corn can be in one!

My ideal garden - except I would add cap-stones

CONSIDERATION:
Organic farmers may be limited to using concrete block to build raised gardens on commercial farms. Organic farmers are prohibited to grow in treated wood beds. If organic growers use treated wood beds, instead of concrete block or other all-natural materials, they cannot label or sale their produce as organic. Using concrete eliminates this problem.

with a netting cap

LINKS:

• More photos with links to each
• Blog with photos of raised bed gardens
• An EXCELLENT blog to show you step-by-step how to build one!
• A comment and personal experience from Troy

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I hope this information has been of some help to you. As always, if you would like to add a thought, question, give suggestions for another topic, or make a general suggestion, please post a comment below. Also, please follow / subscribe to this blog.  Thank you!

Memories. . . How to Save Them

Can't find your car keys? Forget what's on your grocery list?  You're not alone. Everyone forgets things occasionally. Still, memory loss is nothing to take lightly. Although there are no guarantees when it comes to preventing memory loss or dementia, memory tricks can be helpful. 

Prevagen. A natural solution to maintain our memory ability and work to improve it.
[No this is NOT a paid advertisement or such] It really works! I've been using it for years and I notice when I run out.  Here is more about it. There is history to this product and you will want to know all about it! Click on the box. 

Other tips for keeping your memories sharper and working with a less than perfect memory:  Please click on each link to go deeper into the author's talk about each topic. VERY good info here!

Stay Mentally Active. Just as physical activity helps keep your body in shape, mentally stimulating activities help keep your brain in shape — and perhaps keep memory loss at bay. Do crossword puzzles. Read a section of the newspaper that you normally skip. Take alternate routes when driving. Learn to play a musical instrument. Volunteer at a local school or community organization. Something like crossword puzzles. Try word association games and rebus puzzles that require you to complete words or phrases using letters and pictures. Using a timer may also help you concentrate on getting your correct answers as quickly as possible.

Friends. Countless studies show that a life that’s full of friends and fun comes with cognitive benefits. Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress, both of which can contribute to memory loss. Look for opportunities to get together with loved ones, friends and others — especially if you live alone. When you're invited to share a meal or attend an event, go!

Sleep and yes, Exercise.  Just as an athlete relies on sleep and a nutrition-packed diet to perform his or her best, your ability to remember increases when you nurture your brain with a good diet and other healthy habits.

Physical exercise increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Exercise may also enhance the effects of helpful brain chemicals and protect brain cells.

Laughter. Unlike emotional responses, which are limited to specific areas of the brain, laughter engages multiple regions across the whole brain. 

Stress is one of the brain’s worst enemies. Over time, if left unchecked, chronic stress destroys brain cells and damages the hippo-campus, the region of the brain involved in the formation of new memories and the retrieval of old ones.

Focus. Limit distractions, and don't try to do too many things at once. If you focus on the information that you're trying to remember, you'll be more likely to recall it later. It might also help to connect what you're trying to remember to a favorite song or another familiar concept. 

Doctors Orders! Follow your doctor's treatment recommendations for any chronic conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and depression. The better you take care of yourself, the better your memory is likely to be. In addition, review your medications with your doctor regularly. Various medications can impact memory.

Get Organized. You're more likely to forget things if your home is cluttered and your notes are in disarray. Jot down tasks, appointments and other events in a special notebook, calendar or electronic planner. You might even repeat each entry out loud as you jot it down to help cement it in your memory. Keep to-do lists current, and check off items you've completed. Set aside a certain place for your wallet, keys and other essentials. 

 Next... I will share next time the foods that help improve your brain power!  Remember to subscribe so you never miss one of my posts!