Cabbage White Butterfly

Cabbage White Butterfly On Mullien

with a wonderful shadow.

Cabbage White Butterfly On Lavender

Cabbage White Butterfly 

(Pieris rapae) 

on All Heal Flower (Prunella) 

surrounded by yummy Chickweed (Stellaria media).

Chickweed is an annual wild edible and as hardy as it is, chickweed is quite delicate.  Chickweed grows in a unique, intertwined manner, and it has small white star-shaped flowers hence its Latin name, Stellaria media. Chickweed's presence decreases insect damage to other plants. This edible plant has a lot of health benefits and is full of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients and is medicinal as well. Chickweed actually has several traditional uses both internally and externally:

Anti-inflammatory and pain reliever It’s a traditional remedy for rheumatism, arthritis, menstrual cramps and other issues associated with inflammation. Chickweed poultice can also be used in relieving eye inflammation and conjunctivitis.

Digestive and intestinal support Chickweed’s high fiber content and its reputation for improving the absorption of nutrients makes it an old stand-by tonic for gut health.

Functions as an expectorant. Chickweed may help ease respiratory conditions, such as tuberculosis, whooping cough and the flu. It soothes the bronchial tubes and the lungs to help expel mucus or phlegm.

Skin treatment Chickweed is cooling and drying so it has a long history of use in treating skin afflictions like acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, minor burns, boils, cuts, and insect bites. It’s also good as a compress for soothing hemorrhoids and varicose veins.

Kidney support As a mild diuretic, chickweed tea is traditionally administered to flush and clean the kidneys. 

Astringent Aids in wound healing. This herb has been used to promote wound healing and prevent infections through its antiseptic and antifungal properties. A compress, tincture, or fresh juice of chickweed is used to draw out splinters.

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FIRE­CRACKER VINE

Spanish Flag

Ipomoea lobata syn. Mina lobata 

Spanish Flag sometimes called the Firecracker Vine, or exotic love vine, and Mexican flame vine, (Ipomoea lobata, syn. Mina lobata), is a native of the tropical regions of South and Central America. This member of the morning glory family produces masses of dazzling tubular flowers that mature from soft lemon yellow, through orange and deep rusty red. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and even the Royal Horticultural Society agree: This annual vine called Ipomoea lobata, formerly Mina lobata, is the bee’s knees.

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MILCK Performs "Quiet" with GW Sirens and Capital Blend | Full Frontal w...

Barn Kitty

 Kitty & A Rope

  Kitty & A Rope In Black & White

 Kitty Playing

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Velvet & Suede

 These suede looking brown mushrooms are on a pine tree, in a swamp, in Burlington, Vermont, in mid August. I would appreciate any help identifying them, as my search has left me confused about what they are. I think the other mushrooms are Mossy Maze Polypores.

 These suede looking brown mushrooms are on a pine tree, in a swamp, in Burlington, Vermont, in mid August. I would appreciate any help identifying them, as my search has left me confused about what they are.

These velvety looking brown mushrooms are on a pine tree, in a swamp, in Burlington, Vermont, in mid August. I would appreciate any help identifying them, as my search has left me confused about what they are.

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Bee On Purple Liatris

Honey Bee On Purple Liatris Flowers.

Notice the bright yellow pollen on the bees knees.

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Self Heal

                                           Heal All Herb

Prunella vulgaris

Other Names:  Prunella, All-Heal, Hook-Heal, Self Heal, Slough-Heal, Brunella, Heart of the Earth, Blue Curls, Carpenter-weed, Common Selfheal, Consolida Minor, Lance Selfheal, Sicklewort, Woundwort, Xia Ku Cao

Prunella Vulgaris Herb Uses and Medicinal Properties

 Prunella Vulgaris is an edible and medicinal herb, and can be used in salads, soups, stews, or boiled as a pot herb. 

A cold water infusion of the freshly chopped or dried and powdered leaves is a very tasty and refreshing beverage, weak infusion of the plant is an excellent medicinal eye wash for sties and pinkeye. 

Prunella is taken internally as a medicinal tea in the treatment of fevers, diarrhea, sore mouth and throat, internal bleeding, and weaknesses of the liver and heart. It is antibacterial, inhibiting the growth of pseudomonas, Bacillus typhi, E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculi. Used internally and externally as an antibiotic and for hard to heal wounds and diseases. It is showing promise in research for herpes, cancer, AIDS, diabetes, Endometriosis and many other maladies.

  This is what All Heal looks like growing in the lawn.

 This is what All Heal looks like growing in the lawn.

This is what the plant looks like.

Here's video about it that I highly recommend.

https://youtu.be/Jse1wUz_9ys

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Disclaimer

My blog is meant to inform and I strive to be totally accurate. It is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects.

Local Art

African Market. 
This photo was awarded Photo of the Day, on Capture My Vermont, for November 15, 2017.

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Black & White

Stormy Sunday

While strawberry picking at Adam's Farm, a storm rolled in, giving us a good soaking and a photo opportunity.

 Cathedral Bells 4
Aka Purple Cup and Saucer Vine, monastery bells, Mexican ivy. (Cobaea Scandens)

This photo is of flowers on their way out and still very beautiful.

 Me & My Shadow

 Friends On A Beautiful Autumn Afternoon

 Winter Fencline

 Icy Light

Weather Vane On The Barn

Snow Caps On Sedum

Crow 

 Princess Of The Leaves

Squirrel On A Fence

Dahlias Beautiful, even in black & white.

Water Lilys As Art In Black & White with Special Effects.

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Reveal- Nature Meditation

https://soundcloud.com/treesisters/reveal-gift

Monarch Butterfly On A White Zinnia

Monarch Butterfly On A White Zinnia

They say that the name Butterfly is of unknown origin, but I believe that they were originally called Flutterbys, as I like to call them, and that someone (perhaps a child), probably mispronounced it, and it stuck. They are fascinating creatures who take to the air on gossamer wings. They've come to symbolize metamorphosis. These remarkable pollinators display a diversity of colors and patterns.

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How LED Lighting May Compromise Your Health

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/10/23/near-infrared-led-lighting.aspx?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=facebookmercola_ranart-ths&utm_campaign=20171029_near-infrared-led-lighting

ARROWHEAD

 ARROWHEAD/DUCK-POTATO Sagittaria spp. 

Common arrowhead or Duck-potato is a colony-forming, aquatic  perennial, rising above water level to a height of 3 ft. Members of the Water-Plantain Family grow in water, in swamps, on muddy banks, or occasionally in wet sand. 

 The rhizomes, young leaves, young shoots and young inflorescences are all edible, but it is the corms that are most widely valued for food. Arrowheads are also important sources of food for ducks and geese.

Arrowhead tubers were high valued food sources for Native North Americans who consumed them raw, boiled, dried, baked, roasted, mashed, ground into flour, or candied with maple sugar. Be sure to only eat from arrowhead plants growing in unpolluted waters. To gather the tubers, use your hands or feet to follow the rhizomes that extend out from the center of the plant’s roots in the mud and water. Remove the tuber growing at the end of each rhizome. Scrub the tubers clean and them boil them in salted water for 15 minutes. Though the skin is edible arrowhead tubers are more palatable when peeled. The best times for collecting tubers is in fall or early spring.

A number of tribes are known to have used the arrowhead plant for medicinal purposes. The Navajo used the arrowhead plant to treat headaches, the Ojibwa ate the corms (tubers) for indigestion, and the Algonquin of Quebec used the root to treat tuberculosis.

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Purple Cup and Saucer Vine

Purple Cup and Saucer Vine 

Aka Cathedral Bells, monastery bells, Mexican ivy.

(Cobaea Scandens) 

A fairy tale vine with flowers that will scale a trellis quickly in warm weather and will be covered by midsummer all the way until frost with lovely 3" violet purple flaring bell flowers that glow in the late afternoon sun and evening light.

From Central and South America

 

Cathedral Bells

Cathedral Bells Going To Seed

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Virginia Virgin's-bower

Virginia Virgin's-bower, 

Clematis virginiana L.

(also known as devil's darning needles, devil's hair, love vine, traveller's joy, virgin's bower, wild hops, and woodbine), and is the most common clematis in New England.

Attracts: Hummingbirds & Bees. 
Medicinal: An extract of the stems was used as a wash to induce strange dreams by the Iroquois. It is a hallucinogen. Aboriginals used this plant as medicine for many purposes. The Cherokee used an infusion of this with milkweed (Asclepias) to treat backache, as well as using it in ceremonial medicine to induce dreaming. They also used it as an ingredient in ceremonial green corn medicine. An infusion of the root is taken for stomach trouble and nerves. An infusion taken from the root was used to kidney trouble by the Cherokee and the Iroquois. The Iroquois also used and infusion of the roots to treat veneral disease sores.

Warning: All parts are POISONOUS. The toxic foliage is avoided by mammalian herbivores. However, the foliage of Virgin's Bower can provide significant cover and nesting habitat for many songbirds.

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Vermont Fall Foliage 2017

Fall color in Vermont has begun, and though it is sporadic, due to the unusually warm, dry weather, there are pockets of great beauty. I adore the sparkle of the fall grasses against the spectacular color of the trees.

Autumn Grasses & Trees

 Golden Tree
A Golden Tree stands out against the glorious fall foliage of the Mountains and Forests of Autumn in Vermont, 2017.

Autumn Horse

Long Fall Shadows At The Water Front

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Wild Morning Glory

Flowers At The Beach
Bindweed, also known as (wild morning glory), amongst purple flowers, red berries, and driftwood, at the beach. Other names include Calystegia sepium, hedge bindweed, Rutland beauty, bugle vine, heavenly trumpets, bellbind, greater bindweed, bearbind, hedge convolvulus, hooded bindweed, old man's nightcap, bride's gown, wedlock (referring to the white gown-like flowers and the binding nature of the vine), white witches hat, belle of the ball. A common childhood pastime in the UK is to 'pop' the flowers from the sepals while chanting "Granny, granny- pop out of bed".

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DIY Low Cost Tiny Home made of Air crete

Wild Senna

Wild Senna

 Senna hebecarpa, with the common names American senna and wild senna, is a species of legume native to eastern North America. Senna is also known as wild senna, cassia marilandica, or locust plant.
It works by interacting with the bacteria in the digestive tract, resulting in intestinal contractions. In India, it has been used as a laxative for thousands of years. Several senna species are purgatives or laxatives depending on the dose. The leaves and pods of the wild senna contain compounds called anthraquinones, which are powerful laxatives. For this reason cattle and other herbivores avoid grazing the plants.

Wild Senna Flowers & Seed Pods

 Wild Senna Seed Pods

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