Edible parks?
http://blogasheville.blogspot.com/2009/07/tour-of-ashevilles-edible-parks-9-3-sat.html
Also, here is a netted item about my favorite flower person:
Dandelion
The dandelion is a pugnacious flower that simply won`t go away. Its root is thick and hearty, so unearthing it takes time and patience. Its flowers blossom into a brilliant yellow before dissolving into soft, seed puffballs. The puffballs allow the seeds to be picked up by airy breezes, scattering them throughout your neighbourhood, up to five miles from the source! Dandelion`s botanical name (Taraxacum officinale) comes from the Greek words for "disorder" and "remedy", causing some herbalists to speculate that the plant originated from Greece. Now, dandelion can be found all over the world, from China to Costa Rica to the United States. It is even cultivated in China, France, and Germany! Whether arriving on cue or showing up unexpectedly, this is a plant that loves to travel, packing healing medicine in its suitcasds and valises.
Dandelion is a wonderful tonic herb with high levels of potassium, iron, calcium, ascorbic acid (a vitamin C complex), and vitamins A and B. As a diuretic, it supplies potassium to the body instead of draining it, speeding the healing of kidney and urinary problems. It can aid in alleviating fluid retention from PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and urine retention due to the bladder infections. Dandelion`s diuretic properties are also helpful in losing weight by reducing the water in the body and in regulating blood sugar by supporting the function of the liver.
Liver support is a major component of dandelion`s medicinal package. The root of the dandelion aids in cleasing the liver by stimulating bile production. Bile is natural, bitter fluid secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Realeased into the duodenum (beginning section of the small intestine, near the stomach), it helps break down and digest fats in your body. Bile also helps transport toxins out of your body via stools. Thus, dandelion is a mild laxative that eases the removal of unnecessary elements from your body without causing diarrhea. Dandelion is wonderful for people with a slow or sluggish liver because of excessive alcohol comsumption or poor diet. Besides serving as a restorative for the liver, it aids in preventing the formation of gallstones. (People with gallstones should avoid dandelion, however, as the herb could aggravate the condition.)
As a bitter, dandelion not only works with the liver and urinary tract, but also with the stomach. The leaves increase hydrochloric acid in your stomach, aiding the digestion and getting calcium out of your food. These help to increase the appetite of the elderly and those undergoing radical treatment, such as chemotherapy. Dandelion leaves can even lower your cholesterol! The leaves, like the roots, boost liver and urinary infections, but also work for bruises, fevers, and chronic skin problems like eczema, rashes, and acne. For these, you can utlize dandelion internally and topically, creating a poultice to put on the skin irritation.
Dandelion flowers also work on the sking, adding verve and zest. Worried about wrinkles, freckles, large pores, or oily skin? Create a flower infusion with the bright yellow dandelion flowers and splash it on your face in place of your regular skin toner. This is especially helpful for oily skin, but may be too strong for dry skin types. Despite their beautification abilities, dandelion flowers are not vain and insubstantial. Oh no! They are more tha skin-deep, working below the surface to help alleviate depression, backaches, stomachaches, and mestrual cramps. Dandelion-flower oil can ease tension and aches in muscles, as well as in arthritic joints. The Flower Essence Society considers dandelion-flower oil to be helpful in the release of emotions locked in the muscles. This ability, in turn, promotes deep relaxation. So the next time you`re giving or receiving a healing massage, try adding a few drops of dandelion to your regular massage oil.
Fiery and dynamic, the dandelion is an herb of many abilities and usages. You can create an oil, a poultice, or an infusion for use on the skin. You can drink it as a tincture or a tea (another word for infusion). Or (my personal favorite) you can go out and gather the leaves and blossoms right off the earth, for inclusion in salads, as tasty fried fritters, or in crafting dandelion wine. The possibilities are endless, as are the recipes.
From the article "Healing Weeds: Dandelion and Violet", by Michelle Sky on the Llewellyn`s 2009 Herbal Almanac.
Also, here is a netted item about my favorite flower person:
Dandelion
The dandelion is a pugnacious flower that simply won`t go away. Its root is thick and hearty, so unearthing it takes time and patience. Its flowers blossom into a brilliant yellow before dissolving into soft, seed puffballs. The puffballs allow the seeds to be picked up by airy breezes, scattering them throughout your neighbourhood, up to five miles from the source! Dandelion`s botanical name (Taraxacum officinale) comes from the Greek words for "disorder" and "remedy", causing some herbalists to speculate that the plant originated from Greece. Now, dandelion can be found all over the world, from China to Costa Rica to the United States. It is even cultivated in China, France, and Germany! Whether arriving on cue or showing up unexpectedly, this is a plant that loves to travel, packing healing medicine in its suitcasds and valises.
Dandelion is a wonderful tonic herb with high levels of potassium, iron, calcium, ascorbic acid (a vitamin C complex), and vitamins A and B. As a diuretic, it supplies potassium to the body instead of draining it, speeding the healing of kidney and urinary problems. It can aid in alleviating fluid retention from PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and urine retention due to the bladder infections. Dandelion`s diuretic properties are also helpful in losing weight by reducing the water in the body and in regulating blood sugar by supporting the function of the liver.
Liver support is a major component of dandelion`s medicinal package. The root of the dandelion aids in cleasing the liver by stimulating bile production. Bile is natural, bitter fluid secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Realeased into the duodenum (beginning section of the small intestine, near the stomach), it helps break down and digest fats in your body. Bile also helps transport toxins out of your body via stools. Thus, dandelion is a mild laxative that eases the removal of unnecessary elements from your body without causing diarrhea. Dandelion is wonderful for people with a slow or sluggish liver because of excessive alcohol comsumption or poor diet. Besides serving as a restorative for the liver, it aids in preventing the formation of gallstones. (People with gallstones should avoid dandelion, however, as the herb could aggravate the condition.)
As a bitter, dandelion not only works with the liver and urinary tract, but also with the stomach. The leaves increase hydrochloric acid in your stomach, aiding the digestion and getting calcium out of your food. These help to increase the appetite of the elderly and those undergoing radical treatment, such as chemotherapy. Dandelion leaves can even lower your cholesterol! The leaves, like the roots, boost liver and urinary infections, but also work for bruises, fevers, and chronic skin problems like eczema, rashes, and acne. For these, you can utlize dandelion internally and topically, creating a poultice to put on the skin irritation.
Dandelion flowers also work on the sking, adding verve and zest. Worried about wrinkles, freckles, large pores, or oily skin? Create a flower infusion with the bright yellow dandelion flowers and splash it on your face in place of your regular skin toner. This is especially helpful for oily skin, but may be too strong for dry skin types. Despite their beautification abilities, dandelion flowers are not vain and insubstantial. Oh no! They are more tha skin-deep, working below the surface to help alleviate depression, backaches, stomachaches, and mestrual cramps. Dandelion-flower oil can ease tension and aches in muscles, as well as in arthritic joints. The Flower Essence Society considers dandelion-flower oil to be helpful in the release of emotions locked in the muscles. This ability, in turn, promotes deep relaxation. So the next time you`re giving or receiving a healing massage, try adding a few drops of dandelion to your regular massage oil.
Fiery and dynamic, the dandelion is an herb of many abilities and usages. You can create an oil, a poultice, or an infusion for use on the skin. You can drink it as a tincture or a tea (another word for infusion). Or (my personal favorite) you can go out and gather the leaves and blossoms right off the earth, for inclusion in salads, as tasty fried fritters, or in crafting dandelion wine. The possibilities are endless, as are the recipes.
From the article "Healing Weeds: Dandelion and Violet", by Michelle Sky on the Llewellyn`s 2009 Herbal Almanac.