The best things in life, are free.

Hello Mr. Hornbill 

Our home overlooks a designated forest, but over the years it had been neglected and abused and greatly denuded. It was a very sad state of affairs.

Then concerned people and groups began to work together. Over past decade there has been a very good effort by citizen groups, environmentalists and the government forest department

When people collaborate and sincerely work together towards a goal, results have to come. 

Surprisingly, when we share our labours and energies for achieving something better, fatigue rarely occurs. Purpose fills our mind and body with inexplicable joy  and a kinship with others. 

In pursuit of comforts, we modern beings live in cocoons, mostly disconnected from nature. Is it any wonder that to just spot a Hornbill perched at the edge of our balcony, it should cause the heart to skip a beat? 

The inexplicable joyful emotion and the contemplation that follows can be a spiritual experience, that is not easy to describe.

The growth in the forest and green cover has had many benefits, for us residents and visitors to the vicinity they, 

• There is much less dust in the air and in our homes.
• The air feels fresher and more rejuvenating. The climate has become better, the weather cooler, even in summer. One rarely needs to turn on the air conditioning even in summer. Saving energy and money.
• Where there is respect and worship for nature no policing and enforcement is necessary. People have almost completely stopped throwing garbage onto the forest land so the environment looks and feels healthier. 
• The ground water levels have risen. The bore wells that we had drilled in our our housing society as a standby to overcome water shortages in summer now rarely run dry. 
• The noise levels are much lower as the forest absorbs noise and vibrations. 
• When we are respectful and welcoming, guests will flock to our home and enrich our lives. Butterflies and bees are more common. Sparrows, Mynas, Peacocks, Sunbirds, Parrots, Robins, along with many Squirrels are regular visitors all year long.
• The ambience, the chirping of birds and the fluttering of butterflies makes one feel in harmony with existence.

Its true, the best things in life are free.

The forest behind our home BEFORE  conservation efforts

The forest behind our home AFTER conservation efforts

The forest behind our home AFTER conservation efforts

__________________

Thanks to my friend: Arvind Patole  for providing the image of the Great Indian Hornbill

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Look up at the stars and not down at your feet.

Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. 

Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. 

Be curious. 

~ Stephen Hawking

How to Propagate Succulents

My latest obsession is the pretty succulent. They are beautiful plants and come in so many varieties and great colours. They are very hardy and need little watering (once every two weeks or once a month depending on your climate and environment) so they make a very good plant for indoors and anyone who doesn’t have a green thumb. 

The great thing about these guys is you can actually grow heaps of succulents from the one plant. It’s called propagating and I’ll run you through just how to do it!

Step One:

Choose the succulent. Head to your local garden nursery or local market to pick one. 

Once you’ve got your little friend home. Start by carefully removing the lower leaves. Pull off as many as you would like to propagate. Most people usually remove all the leaves from the lower level. That way you have a few if any don’t make it. Hold the leaf firmly and wiggle it until you can feel it pull away.  Make sure you get the whole leaf and don’t tear it otherwise it won’t grow a new plant.

 Step Two:

 Your leaves should look something like this If you have correctly pulled them off in one piece.

Step Three: 

Now we wait. This step is the most important!! The leaves need to dry out & callous over before we plant them or else they will  absorb too much moisture,rot and die. This usually takes a few days to a week. 

Step Four:

Once you feel the ends have dried over, place them in a pot or tray ontop of well drained succulent & cactus soil mixture (you can buy this in a bag from your local hardware/ garden nursery I got mine from Bunnings). Some people dip the ends of the leaves in a plant cutting mixture (contains stimulating root hormones). This speeds up the growth process. You can try this but not essential.

Leave them inside where they can get indirect sunlight. After a few weeks you will notice roots shooting out the ends of the leaves. Then very small succulents will begin to form. Lightly water once you see these. During the process if the soil is dry add water to keep the area moist. Remember too much water is not good. Succulents aren’t big fans. 

Step Five:

Congratulations you've successfully growth succulents! Once they get to this size (see image below)  or even like the above image. You can carefully remove the new succulents and plant them in their very own pot (remember to use a succulent cactus soil mixture) and watch them blossom! Pretty cool hey! 

Now you can start getting creative and making gorgeous features out of your succulents. Mix them with other plants just like this. 

Happy Gardening! x 

http://kaerriie.tumblr.com/post/165872484339/how-to-propagate-succulents

To believe in tomorrow

To plant a garden, 
          is to believe in tomorrow.

 ~ Audrey Hepburn

   

Tea Facts 101

Tea Facts 

Black tea

Think black tea makes you feel good? You’re right. It’s been proven to help you de-stress fast. It also helps eliminate bad breath. Plus medical research indicates that it lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and reduces bad cholesterol.

Green tea

Want to stay slim, trim and beautiful? The antioxidants in green tea just might slow signs of aging, prevent the flu and raise your metabolism. More dramatically, it’s being shown to prevent and slow cancer, and help with arthritis and bad cholesterol too.

Oolong tea

This one’s known as a fat-buster in China, and science is indicating that it does indeed speed up your metabolism, burn fat and block fat absorption! Use it to fight expanding waistlines, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

White tea

Science is saying that white tea might be more effective than even green tea at preventing cell damage, shrinking cancerous tumours and stopping the growth of cancer cells. Plus it’s becoming the new cosmetic fix for aging skin. Beautiful!

Pu’erh tea

Traditional Chinese medicine prizes Pu’erh as a wonder tea. It’s said to aid digestion, cleanse the blood and help with weight loss. Studies in Europe are also saying it busts cholesterol as effectively as some medications.

Rooibos tea

It’s said that rooibos helps you recover from hangovers, and that it could slow dementia. Plus there’s evidence that it fights skin cancer and boosts the immune system. And it’s supposed to help with insomnia!

Yerba tea

Yerba mate is a fabulous stimulant, without the jitters. It’s also full of antioxidants, so there’s scientific speculation that it could have anti-cancer properties, help stimulate the immune system and protect against disease.

Herbal tea

Herbs, spices, fruits and flowers have long been used in traditional medicine to cure everything from headaches, stomach bugs and colds to stress and insomnia. The power of the tea depends on its ingredients.

Invisible God, Visible Nature

Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible God and destroys a visible Nature. Unaware that the Nature he is destroying is this God he is worshipping.

~ Hubert Reeves

 

Hubert Reeves (born 1932), CC OQ is a French Canadian astrophysicist who popularised science. He has been honoured by the highest civilian awards of both France and Canada for his contribution to society and science.

How to Easily Remove Pesticides From Your Fruits and Vegetables

How to Easily Remove Pesticides From Your Fruits and Vegetables

Its true that pesticides and chemicals leach into the and get absorbed by the plant through their roots. However the majority of germs, and pesticides are on the outside. This way we can be safer even if not completely safe



My thanks  to Vijay Ramaniah for this very useful and important link