Friday, March 29, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
Living like it's 2050: a Transition Farm in North Carolina
Owner Tim Toben didn't describe his North Carolina Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute as officially part of the Transition Movement, but it fits in well. Farm manager Margaret Krome-Lukens is part of the Transition Town movement (helped Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC become one). She shows us the garden, her cob home and the pigs.
Poppies
Poppy plants are commonly referred to as “poppies” and are flowering specimens from the Papaveraceae family. The blooms have four to six petals with a cluster of stamens in the center. Poppy flowers come in various colors, including red, yellow, pink and white, and some have markings on the petals or in the flower’s center. Flower petals remain crumpled during the bud stage, with the petals lying flat once the poppy is in full bloom.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The Most Colorful Tree In The World
The most colorful tree in the world: The Rainbow Eucalyptus tree (Eucalyptus deglupta).
The Rainbow Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta) or 'MINDANAO GUM' looks almost like it's been spray painted, but the up to 70-m tall tree is colored this way completely naturally. Its bark can take on a yellow, green, orange and even purple shading.
If you want to spot a Rainbow Eucalyptus tree live and in all its glory, you’ll have to travel to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea or Philippines where the tree grows natively. However, it has been introduced worldwide as an exotic wood in South America, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, China and other countries.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
The Dragon's Blood Tree
The Dragon's blood tree is named for its dark red resin, known as “dragon’s blood”, a substance which has been highly prized since ancient times. The resin has had many different uses, including coloring wool, varnishes and plaster, decorating houses and pottery, and as a remedy in ritual magic.
It is found on the island Socotra, off the coast of Yemen and can grow up to 10 meters in height.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/7zr3zf2
Image credit: Jan Vandorpe
The Serpent Gourd flower
Trichosanthes cucumerina is a tropical or subtropical vine, raised for its strikingly long fruit, used as a vegetable, medicine, and, a lesser known use, crafting didgeridoos.The lace-like flower of T. cucumerina opens only after dark.
photo credit: © tomrapsey
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