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How to grow your own Pepper plants

Piper sarmentosum - Vietnamese Pepper, Lalot leaves wraps

Piper sarmentosum - Vietnamese Pepper, Lalot leaves wraps

Piper nigrum - Black Pepper

Piper nigrum - Black Pepper

Piper auritum - Root Beer Plant, False Kava-Kava

Piper auritum - Root Beer Plant, False Kava-Kava

Piper betle - Betel leaf

Piper betle - Betel leaf

Piper longum - Indian Long Pepper, Pippali, Bengal Peppe

Piper longum - Indian Long Pepper, Pippali, Bengal Peppe

🔥 How to grow your own Pepper plants. Five most valuable 'Pipers'.

ℹ️ Leafy Pepper plants - Pipers - are a source of black pepper and many other "peppery" flavors. These plants come from the Piperaceae family and are used as a spice for their pungent, peppery flavor. Don't confuse them with with Capsicum peppers, such as bell and chili peppers.
  • 🔻Piper sarmentosum - Vietnamese Pepper, Lalot: it is eaten raw in salads or cooked with other greens or dishes, or wrap meats and cook in oven or on stove or grill. It is used medicinally in India and SE Asia. The root is also chewed with Betel Nut as a tonic and medicine. The leaves are used as food (food wraps) in Vietnam.
  • 🔻 Piper nigrum - Black Pepper: While black and white pepper were already known in antiquity, but green pepper (and even more, red pepper) is a recent invention. Pungent and aromatic. The pungency is strongest in white pepper and weakest in green pepper, while black and green pepper are more aromatic than the white one. Moderate growing vine that can be grown on a trellis. Prefers shade to semi-shade.
  • 🔻 Piper auritum - Root Beer Plant, False Kava-Kava: close relative of Piper methysticum (Kava-Kava) and probably has some similar tonic effects. It is used for its spicy aromatic scent and flavor, liken to root beer, or to anise-clove. Huge leaves can grow over a foot long. The leaves are used for flavoring, as wrappings for meats and tamales.
  • 🔻 Piper betle - Betel leaf: very popular Indian spice with medicinal properties. Chewed with Betel Nut as a tonic and medicine. Great for wrapping food (similar to grape leaves).
  • 🔻 Piper longum - Indian Long Pepper, Pippali, Bengal Pepper: edible and medicinal plant used as spice and in traditional Chinese medicine. Fruit used as a spice and seasoning. It has sweeter and less pungent taste than Black pepper. Highly valued medicinal plant used to treat respiratory infections, stomachache, bronchitis, cough, and much more.


Learn more:
📚 Vietnamese Pepper - Lalot food wraps BBQ recipe
🎥 Growing Lalot Pepper

🛒 Shop pepper plants: Pipers

#Food_Forest #Recipes #Container_Garden #How_to


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How to grow Lobster Claw

Heliconia rostrata - Lobster Claw, Parrot's beak

Heliconia rostrata - Lobster Claw, Parrot's beak

Heliconia rostrata - Lobster Claw, Parrot's beak

Heliconia rostrata - Lobster Claw, Parrot's beak

How to grow Lobster Claw
💅 How to grow Lobster Claw
  • 🦞 Heliconia rostrata - Lobster Claw, Parrot's beak is one of the most recognized and widely grown tropical plants, and one of the most beautiful!
  • 🦞 The inflorescence is one of the most colorful you will ever encounter.
  • 🦞 The flowers last a long time and make an excellent cut flower.
  • 🦞 It is an easy grower in tropical areas but some room is required because the stalks can reach 7 feet in height.
  • 🦞 Pretty cold hardy, it can withstand temperatures in the high 20s F.
  • 🦞 Can be grown in large pots in colder areas.


🛒 Grow your own Lobster Claw

#Hedges_with_benefits #Nature_Wonders

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Date:

I do what I want!

🥳 I do what I want!

"A cat will do what it wants when it wants, and there's not a thing you can do about it." - Frank Perkins

😶 Good night...

Share your cats in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇

🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden 

#Quotes

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Date:

Where does Vanilla come from? How to grow your own Vanilla Beans

Vanilla planifolia - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Orchid beans, seeds

Vanilla planifolia - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Orchid beans, seeds

Vanilla planifolia - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Orchid flower

Vanilla planifolia - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Orchid flower

Vanilla planifolia - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Orchid

Vanilla planifolia - Bourbon Vanilla Bean Orchid

Vanilla dilloniana - Leafless Vanilla Orchid, flower

Vanilla dilloniana - Leafless Vanilla Orchid, flower

🫘 Where does Vanilla come from? How to grow your own Vanilla Beans.
  • ❣️ Vanilla spice comes from Vanilla Orchid!
  • ❣️ Vanilla planifolia is a leafy climbing orchid from hot, wet tropical America. It is grown for its pods which, when dried, become the commercial vanilla.
  • ❣️ The flowers are hand pollinated.
  • ❣️ The Aztec Indians in Mexico used Vanilla Pods to flavor their chocolate drink 'Xoco-latl'. Vanilla was believed to be a tonic for the brain.
  • ❣️ Vanilla Pods are picked green when they have no scent. The lengthy curing process, which develops fragrant aroma, is one reason for its high cost.
  • ❣️ Vanilla orchid needs a flat, solid, porous support for climbing and in order to flower and produce seed pods. It can be grown over a log or a board (make sure the support wood is not chemically treated), or climb over a tree.
  • ❣️ If really happy, Vanilla orchid can exceed 100 feet in length in just a few years. The plants flower only when mature, which takes a few years. It only flowers when it gets strongly attached to a support with its aerial roots.
  • ❣️Vanilla orchid can be grown indoors as a house plant. Culture is similar to traditional orchids, however, it will need a support or trellis. Just keep in mind that for Vanilla Bean production, Vanilla Orchid must attach to a porous surface (like a wood log).


Learn more:

📚 Vanilla - The Most Versatile Orchid

🎥 How to produce my own vanilla: secrets of Vanilla pollination
Vanilla dillioniana - The Biggest Vanilla Orchid in 100 Gal Pot

🛒 Shop vanilla orchids

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Container_Garden

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Date:

♌️ 😵 What is your cat's Zodiac sign?
Cat Horoscope - Leo Zodiac Cats 07/23-08/22

❓ How to know the astrological sign of your cat? It can be determined by either their date of birth or adoption, as adoption is often considered a second birth for cats.

  • ✨ You can discover the astrological traits that describe the cat, such as their independence, diva-like tendencies, sense of humor, intelligence, and more.

  • ✨ It's also important to consider the astrological relationship between cats and plants...


♌️ Leo Zodiac Cats are:
  • ▪️with great pride
  • ▪️commanding, fond of power
  • ▪️independent
  • ▪️courageous, brave, fearless
  • ▪️majestic and laid-back lazy
  • ▪️sybarite, love all beautiful, including plants, especially lush and bright


🌟 Learn more about Leo Zodiac Cats and their lucky plants

#PeopleCats #Horoscope

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Date:

Join

Join
😠 "Kittens are born with their eyes closed. They open them in about six days, take a look around, then close them again for the better part of their lives." - Stephen Baker

😶 Good night...

Share your cats in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇

🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden 

#Quotes

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Date:

What are the best butterfly attracting plants for a Southern garden?

Asclepias - Milkweed, butterfly attractor

🦋 What are the best butterfly attracting plants for a Southern garden? 5 best butterfly attractors.

If you love butterflies and if you enjoy having nature around your home, then plant a butterfly garden. Caterpillars, which transform into butterflies, require special kinds of plants to feed upon. Below are the top five winners that butterflies appreciate the most. Besides, remember That all yellow flowers are attractive to butterflies, for example Cassias. Butterflies like the Sun and everything that looks like the Sun! 🌞

🏆 5 best butterfly attractors:
  1. Calotropis gigantea - Giant milkweed, Arka
  2. Odontonema cuspidatum - Firespike
  3. Plumbago - blue, white and red
  4. Rondeletia leucophylla - Panama Rose
  5. Asclepias - Milkweed


    6. 💻 Learn more:

    🎥 ABC-7: Butterfly plants at Top Tropicals
    The Milkweed and the Monarch, how to raise your own
    Musings of a butterfly gardener about the milkweed bug
    Plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds

    🛒 Shop butterfly plants

    #Butterfly_Plants

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Date:

What are 5 most useful edibles for tropical garden?

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel

Gynura procubens - Longevity Spinach, Cholesterol spinach

Gynura procubens - Longevity Spinach, Cholesterol spinach

Sauropus androgynus - Katuk, Tropical Asparagus

Sauropus androgynus - Katuk, Tropical Asparagus

Cymbopogon citratus - Lemon grass

Cymbopogon citratus - Lemon grass

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf

🥢 What are 5 most useful edibles for tropical garden?
  • 📍 1. Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel - Flowers are used to make a tea "Agua de Flor de Jamaica". Medical studies show that it lowers blood pressure and has diuretic effects. The pleasant flavor is on the tart side similar to a cranberry juice. We make this cold tea every day - perfect for hot summer. Full sun ☀️
  • 📍 2. Gynura procubens - Longevity Spinach, Cholesterol spinach - one of the Superfoods, and there are many claims that it lowers cholesterol. We use it in our cooking all the time and so far we are all alive! Full sun☀️
  • 📍 3. Sauropus androgynus - Katuk, Tropical Asparagus. Delicious young shoots, one of the most popular leaf vegetables in Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, people cook it in stews and soups. It is among only a few flora containing vitamin K. Full sun or semi-shade☀️🌓
  • 📍 4. Cymbopogon citratus - Lemon grass: Versatile performer in the kitchen where it can be used in teas, beverages, herbal medicines, Eastern inspired soups and other dishes. Full sun or semi-shade☀️🌓
  • 📍 5. Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf: Mexican herb with incredibly sweet leaves that can be eaten from the plant like candy or tossed into fruit salads for an unusual addition. It has been used since the time of the Aztecs for coughs and colds. Tastes great, can be used by diabetic patients. We add this herb to Karkade or Mint tea as a sweetener. Shade or semi-shade ☁️ 🌓


Lean more:

📚 Katuk
Longevity spinach post
Longevity Spinach Recipes
Aztec Sweet Herb

🎥 Karkade Tea
Longevity Spinach

🛒 Shop edibles, herbs and spices

#Food_Forest #Remedies

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What is Mickey Mouse Plant?

Ochna integerrima - Vietnamese Mickey Mouse plant, Hoa Mai

Ochna integerrima - Vietnamese Mickey Mouse plant, Hoa Mai

⚡️What is Mickey Mouse Plant?

🐭 Ochna integerrima - Vietnamese Mickey Mouse plant, Hoa Mai.
  • ⭕️ Its seeds and sepals resemble the face of Mickey Mouse, hence the common name.
  • ⭕️ Hoa Mai, also known as Yellow Mai Flower, is the quintessential symbol of Spring in Vietnam, especially during the Tet celebration.
  • ⭕️ "Hoa Mai" translates to "yellow blossoms," highlighting the bright yellow flowers that bloom during Tet.
  • ⭕️ Ochna integerrima is a medium-sized shrub that can be trained into a miniature tree, making it a prized plant for exotic collections.
  • ⭕️ In winter, it is covered with bright yellow flowers, which are believed to bring good luck and prosperity during the Tet celebration.


🛒 Get your own Mickey Mouse Plant

#Hedges_with_benefits #Nature_Wonders
#Fun_Facts

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Date:

How to Live Longer? Surround Yourself with Plants!

Flamingo pond

Gardening not only helps you stay active and healthy but can also be a fun and rewarding way to extend your life. Let nature nurture you!

Living Longer with Green Spaces

A study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health found that a 10% increase in vegetation within 1,600 feet of your home can lower your death risk by 4%.

Why Gardening Could Help You Live Longer

- Nature Exposure: Being outside boosts your mood.
- Exercise: Gardening is a great workout.
- Healthy Eating: Grow and eat your own fresh produce.
- Mind Exercise: Gardening can reduce stress and keep your mind sharp.

Gardening and Longevity

- Many centenarians (people living to 100) garden.
- In "blue zones," where people live longer, gardening is common.
- Gardening promotes daily exercise and a plant-based diet.

Natural Movement vs. Gym Workouts

- 100 years ago, 90% of jobs involved physical activity; today, only 10% do.
- Walking 2 hours a week can lower the risk of major diseases.
- Gardening offers fresh air, exercise, and fun.

Gardening vs. Gym

- Gardening can be as effective as gym workouts.
- Research shows 3 hours of gardening equals a 1-hour gym session.
- Tasks like weeding, digging, and mowing burn significant calories.

Calories Burned in 1 Hour of Gardening

- 340 cal: Chopping wood, using power tools, tilling, mowing with a hand mower, shoveling.
- 272 cal: Carrying wood, digging, clearing land, wheelbarrow work.
- 238 cal: Blower operation, planting, trimming, weeding.
- 224 cal: Raking and sacking leaves.
- 136 cal: Picking fruit, gathering tools, walking.
- 102 cal: Fertilizing or seeding a lawn.
- 34 cal: Watering plants.

Fun Facts

- Half an hour of weeding burns 150 calories.
- Gardening five hours a week burns 700 calories.
- Over a year, that's 20,000 calories, equivalent to running seven marathons.
- A lifetime of gardening can burn a million calories.

Shop for your garden

Flowering vine by the swing

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