Plants and Flowers

Seeds of this tree should be planted in good, fast draining soil. It thrives in partial sunlight, and the temperature shouldn’t fall lower than 15°C at night. In 6-8 weeks you will notice a gentle shoot above the surface. Leaves you will see in about 4-5 weeks.

You should water seeds every day. But be careful, as too much or too little water will kill the seed. The soil should always stay well drained, but moist.

When you have counted 6 pairs of leaves, plant your young tree permanently and place in the shade of larger plants to give it necessary shade.

If you manage to create all needed conditions, in three years you will be enjoyed with pretty flowers and 5 years will be needed before its first crop is ready to harvest.

The coffee tree is a shrub that has a lifespan up to 50 to 70 years. The first flowers can appear during the third year. In the world exist about sixty different species of coffee tree, but only two of them dominate in the world trade - Arabica, which takes 75% of the production; and Robusta.

Coffee tree has small tender white flowers with 5 or 6 petals. Their shape and scent very much resemble those of jasmine, and for this very reason this tree was called “Arabian Jasmine” in the 17th century.

The flowers are formed at the base of the leaves. There can be 5-15 of them and they produce the same number of berries, known as cherries because of the red color. The flowers wilt right after fertilization, but the tree doesn’t seem bare, as other flowers replace them at once. As a result, the tree has a strange appearance, as at the same time you can find on it leaves, flowers and berries. One tree can have over 30,000 flowers in one year.

The coffee tree is an evergreen plant, with green and shiny leaves on the upper side. Its leaves grow in pairs on one side of the stem. By the way, the leaves of the Robusta trees are usually much larger than those of the Arabica.

Aloe belongs to succulent family and can grow up to a height of 12 to 16 inches. Its main feature is long, tapering, stemless leaves. The firm upright stems usually produce several bell-shaped, fleshy, yellow-orange flowers.

Aloe propagates from small, rooted offshoots at the base of the parent plant, but can also be grown from seeds. This succulent likes a rough and a well-drained soil and a sunny location, though will also grow in partial shade. It needs temperatures above 40 degrees, and in cooler climates is always grown indoors. This plant can not tolerate overwatering.

This plant is good to be kept on the kitchen for handy access. The fresh juice of the leaves can be applied directly to ulcers, burns, sunburn, and fungal infection.

Aloe has also strong laxative action and should always be used cautiously. If used in small amounts , it is an excellent digestive agent.

Calendulas are very easy to grow; they are perfect for flower bed plantings and also thrive in pots. This plant belongs to a daisy family and looks like the marigold, measure from 2 ? - 4 ? inches in diameter; very often they are called pot marigold. Their flowers can be orange, apricot, bright yellow, lemon, cream and almost white. They may reach up to twenty four inches, while dwarf species grow to only twelve inches. This plant has branches with long and narrow leaves, a little bit sticky and aromatic.

In literature calendula is describes as a cool season annual. And more often it can be found during the cool season, though some seed companies offer heat resistant species.

This plant likes full sun and moderately fertile soil. If you want to get larger flowers, you should grow it during the cool season.

If you sow seeds in August, your plant is likely to bloom before Christmas. But a little bit later sown seeds will five flowers only in the spring.

Calendula is an annual plant that grows well in almost any soil but more often can be found in Europe, Western Asia, and the United States. It belongs to the same family as daisies, chrysanthemums, and ragweed. It grows to a height of 30 - 60 cm, and can flower from early spring until late autumn. For medicinal purposes usually use the orange-yellow dried petals of the flowerheads.

Orally calendula is taken only in dilute homeopathic preparations, all the rest is use in tinctures, ointments, and washes, which are commonly used to heal burns, bruises, and cuts, as well as the minor infections.

Cream from calendula is also used to treat hemorrhoids.
In homoeopathy ointments containing calendula to heal first-degree burns and sunburns.

Calendula is also contained in some ear drops for treatment of ear infections in children.

Calendula or rather its flower petals have been used in medicine for at least 8 centuries. Calendula is native to Mediterranean region, but is now grown as a pot plant throughout the world. It is often called marigold, but not all of these household plants are members of the calendula family.

Calendula contains many flavonoids, which are known as plant-based antioxidants that protect the organism against free radicals. In spite of numerous studies, researchers are not sure what active ingredients in calendula are responsible for its curing properties, but this plant has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties.

As a rule, calendula has been used to treat stomach upset and ulcers, but there is no proved evidence that this plant is effective in these cases. Today in Germany doctors often prescribe topical applications of calendula. This plant helps to heal wounds (perhaps, because it increase blood flow to the affected area), and the dried petals of the plant are used to make tinctures, ointments, and washes for the healing of burns, bruises, cuts, and minor infections.

Herbs are considered the harmless way to strengthen the body and treat disease. Nevertheless, herbs can have evident side effects and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or drugs. Herbs, as any other medications, should be taken with care, and in compliance with prescriptions and dosage.

Roman chamomile is considered usually harmless. However, Chamomile may worsen asthma, so people with this disease should not take it.
Pregnant women should not take it because of the risk of miscarriage.
People with allergy to asters, daisies, chrysanthemums, or ragweed, may also be allergic to chamomile.
Highly concentrated chamomile tea may cause vomiting.

This herb may increase the risk of bleeding if taken with anticoagulant medicines.
It can also increase the effect of demulcents and alcohol.

Roman chamomile in nature grows in Northwestern Europe and Northern Ireland, where it can grow only close to the ground and so reaches up to a foot in height. Gray-green leaves grow from the stalks, and the flowers have yellow centers with white petals. Unlike German chamomile, its leaves are thicker and the plant itself grows closer to the ground. The flowers smell like apples.

Teas, ointments, and extracts from chamomile all are all created from the white and yellow flower head. The flower head which are dried can be used in teas or capsules or crushed and steamed to make a blue oil, which has medicinal properties. This oil reduce swelling and may restrict the growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

There are no known scientific reports in connection with the appropriate pediatric dose of this herb. However you should talk to your doctor before giving Roman chamomile to your child.
For the adults tea will be the best treatment: pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2 - 3 heaping tbls. of dried herb, steep for 10 - 15 minutes. Drink it three to four times a day between meals.

There are two species of chamomile: German chamomile, which is more popular, and the other, known as Roman, or English. Regardless of the fact that, they belong to different species, they are used to cure similar illnesses. Both of them have been usually used as demulcent, to treat various digestive disorders, to relieve pain, and to treat many skin disorders and mild infections.

Chamomile is a component of many face creams, drinks, hair dyes, shampoos, and various perfumes.
It may seem strange, but most researches have been conducted with German chamomile, which has similar, but not the same, active components.

Over the time Roman chamomile has been known as a perfect means to treat nausea, vomiting, heartburn and some digestive problems. It is also highly estimated for its anxiety-relieving properties. This herb may also reduce hemorrhoidal inflammation. It may also help to treat eczema and gingivitis.

Medical studies have proved that chamomile has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. It also has antispasmodic qualities.

Inadequate fertilizing is often considered as one of the reasons why plant varieties do not flower. And in many cases fertilizer can solve this problem but with succulents it’s difficult to tell whether adding nutrients will actually force them to flower. If you are going to use fertilizer, use those which are designed specifically for cactus and succulents and strictly follow the instructions. If there are no specific instructions an application of fertilizer, use it in the spring, when it may give the plants higher potential for blooming. You should know that cactus and succulent plants grow rather slowly and may keep their energy which they need for flowers for very long time. In most cases you should better wait when the plant reaches mature age rather than increase the fertility of the soil.

These plants drastically differ from any garden vegetables which will bloom when they have a lot of sun, water and fertilizer. These plants naturally are resourceful and conservative which allows them to survive in harsh environments. Giving them sun, water and good soil will encourage them to produce flowers only if their needs correspond seasonal changes.