Home January's Challenge: BE TIDY
Today is my day to finish tidying the kitchen. There are a few more drawers and cupboards to attend to. It's very nice to open the cutlery drawer and find it uncluttered. And my kitchen bench is actually tidy at various times!
Garden SUNFLOWERS Marigold of Peru
Some big round yellow Sunflowers have grown quickly in our garden, smiling their faces toward my neighbour's home as they follow the course of the overhead sun. I gave our first sunflower to my friend, Mandy. It was a golden treasure.
Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of the powerful anti-oxidant vitamin E, vitamin B complex, anticarcinogens (cancer fighters!) and various minerals. They have a very high content of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin D, with the vitamin D assisting calcium to enter the blood stream, thereby helping us build strong bones and teeth.
One day I hope to have enough sunflower seeds to consider making some cold pressed sunflower oil. If my plan eventuates, then I will probably try out the following Sunflower Treatment for many ailments, including migraine headaches, arthritis, rheumatism, eczema, gastro-enteritis, leukaemia, fatigue, cancer, heart disease and women's hormone disorders. By the time I learn how to make my own oil, I could even have a problem that needs some treatment! But I hope not. The research regarding the following Sunflower Treatment was funded by the Academy of Science in Russia.
Expressing thanks to
Isabell Shipard for her research in her book "How can I use Herbs in
my Daily Life"
Our bird bath has been visited lately by several bird species - an Indian miner, lots of noisy miner with their harsh call, 2 white-headed pigeons with low and mournful voices, two magpie larks with their pee-wee call, a big black magpie,and a black faced cuckoo-shrike with its creaky 'kreerark'! I suspect that the greater number of visiting birds is because of the ripening sunflower seeds. If I want to harvest any of them, I had better be out in the garden before the birds have their feed as I hope to spout some seeds for eating. When the sunflowers finish, I will use the old stems and leaves in the compost.
May your garden bless you with its treasure.
from Robyn
Robin
in a flowering gum
Painted
by Brenda, Robyn’s mum