Tag: nature

Lions Ear (Leijonankorva), Leonotis nepetifolia

also known as lion`s tail and wild dagga, Klip Dagga

Lions Ear, Leonotis leonurus, is a plant species in the Lamiaceae family. The plant is a broadleaf evergreen large shrub native to South Africa and southern Africa, where it is very common. It is known for its medicinal and mild psychoactive properties.

Medicinal Uses. It is said that… ( what I read about it)

Klip Dagga has long been used in African traditional medicine as a treatment for fevers, headaches, malaria, dysentery and snakebite.

It has an effect on the uterus – depending on the dose it will stimulate- or suppress menstruation.

In Trinidad it is a common cold, fever and asthma remedy.

Studies suggest that teas or tinctures made with the leaf possesses anti-nociceptive properties, is anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic and therefore lend pharmacological credence to the folkloric uses of this herb in the management and/or control of painful, arthritic, and other inflammatory conditions, as well as for adult-onset type-2 diabetes mellitus.

Both Klip Dagga Leonotis nepetifolia and Wild Dagga Leonotis leonurus are excellent heart tonics.

They are used for heart conditions associated with anxiety and tension and will calm palpitations, tachycardia and irregular heartbeats.

The dried foliage of Leonotis – both Wild Dagga and Klip Dagga – can be used as a legal substitute for marijuana (ganja, cannabis, hemp).

Smoking this dried herb gives an euphoric-like effect and exuberance.

The flowers are the most potent part and can be smoked or used as a calming tea.

For Cee´s Flower of the Day.

Flower a day – Yellow Toadflax

Yellow Toadflax( Keltakannusruoho )

Name also: Butter and eggs, Common toadflax

Look at its glowing yellow flowers.

Toadflaxes are abundant in western Asia and around the Mediterranean. Many of them favour culturally-influenced areas, at least to at least a certain extent.

Yellow toadflax is a perennial, strong-rooted herb which has root buds. It flowers on roadsides right up until late September. In Finland it is native to coastal rocky outcrops. Inland plants may be established aliens that arrived later. Yellow toadflax has a beautiful flower and has thus been transplanted into gardens as an ornamental and found new habitats in this way.

For Cee´s Flower of the Day.

Flower a day – Meadow Vetchling

Meadow Vetchling (Niittynätkelmä)

Name also: Meadow pea, Meadow pea-vine

Look at its glowing yellow flowers.

Meadow vetchling has never been an important nutritional or medicinal plant, although it has probably been a useful fodder plant.

Meadow vetchling spreads widely through its runner-like rhizome to form large stands. Sexual propagation is however problematic: pods don’t develop on most of the flowers and the seeds are prone to being destroyed by insects. It makes an impressive sight however when it is in bloom, and it stands out easily among the surrounding grasses. It climbs up to become visible by using its tendrils to climb on other plants.

Meadow vetchling is the only yellow-flowered species out of the members of its genus that are established in Finland. At first glance its flowers might look like bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), but the latter has a tendril instead of a terminal leaflet, and it doesn’t use other plants to climb on.

For Cee´s Flower of the Day.

Flower a day – Sneezewort

Sneezewort

Name also: Bastard pellitory, Fair-maid-of-France, Goose tongue, Sneezeweed yarrow, White tansy, Wild pellitory

Sneezewort has spread or been brought to Finland quite late, sometime in the 17th century, and for a long time after that it was rare. It only began to become more common at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, however, when hay started to be cultivated.

For Cee´s Flower of the Day.

It grows all over Finland now, apart from the wide expanse of wilderness in Lapland. It still grows mainly where humans have left their mark in drained swamps, the edges of hay-fields, beside roads and on waste ground. It can survive a long time on old fields that have been reclaimed by the forest but in that case it flowers rarely.

Flower a day 🌻

The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant with a sizeable daisy-like flower face. Its scientific name comes from the Greek words helios (“sun”) and anthos (“flower”). The flowers come in many colors (yellow, red, orange, maroon, brown), but they are commonly bright yellow with brown centers that ripen into heavy heads filled with seeds. Sunflowers make excellent cut flowers, and many attract bees, birds, and butterflies.

For Cee´s Flower of the Day.

Sunflowers are heliotropic, which means that they turn their flowers to follow the movement of the Sun across the sky from east to west and then return at night to face the east, ready again for the morning sun.

Cloud watching

We have had what we a typical Finnish summer lately, that’s to say, constantly changing weather, rain, clouds, sunshine and anything between.

Lahti harbour is where you will meet us Lahti residents, and summer residents especially in the summer. The harbour is full of restaurants and cafés. We had coffee at cafe Kariranta Located in the old Vesijärvi train station building, Kariranta is the true gem of the harbour. Pastries baked in the café will make your mouth water.

Coffee and strawberry and blueberry cheesecake

We went there after having chosen the paint to our kitchen floor. We have always thought that it was old traditional gray paint used in old houses, and apparently it is, but actually it was green with gray tones. So weird 😊

Nature- Tree Bark

Photography

Keeping it short and sweet

I walked around my summer house yard looking for bark, as we have lots of trees on out blot, So all new quickly taken shots for Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge #22 Tree Bark

We have lots of birch tree on our yard, new and old one, that are about 100 years old. That ‘ what The photos are.

The last two are from my archives, the first one is a from the redwoods and second one is from an old oak tree where the insects had done natures art work. To me it looks like and deer on a walk about.

Misty field

After rain I love the smell of the nature and the rising mist on the fields

Nature- water plant’s

Keeping it short and sweet

I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge #21 water plants

Nature- black in nature

animals, Photography

Black is a color that lacks hue and brightness and absorbs light without reflecting any of the rays composing it. It is characterized by the absence of light, enveloped in darkness

I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge #20 BLACK

He is looking for photographs of Black in nature. Guidance: The only criterion is that I would like you to photograph things in nature that are totally or mostly (so let’s say more than two-thirds) black.

Soil is the first thing I thought of, but at the moment everything is mostly green. I was not going to dig for it. Lets start with this pretty bird with a white beak. There is an another one too with a white beak 🙂 and one more. These are few things in nature that I have photographs of that are black.

The Black Phoebe is a dapper flycatcher of the western U.S. with a sooty black body and crisp white belly.

One of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the Red-winged Blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel.

European Male Coot

Always seen on or near water, this wetland bird is a great example of a black bird with a white beak. As seen in the picture above it has a white beak with a white patch on its forehead, also known as a frontal shield, they also have red eyes. The males and females are very similar, however in breeding season the male’s frontal shield will be noticeably wider than the female’s.

Black squirrel, black cows and a dog. Alligator – Black?

Australian magpie below

Summer 2023-10

Captures from Finland, Landscapes, Photography

For Cee´s Flower of the Day.

After the rain

Last night after a rainy day the sunset came and it looked like this. Orange and green go together well 😊

Nature- Fern

Captures from Finland, Landscapes, Photography

One of the evergreens in my garden and also the ferns growing in nature appeal to me. Obviously I have taken many photos of it. Here are few of my favorite ones.

I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge #19: Ferns

These i took few days ago…

Rain, rain and rainbow

We drove back to our summer house and as I was sitting by the fireplace it started raining and I went from window to window trying to capture it. These are the unedited photos 😊

Nature- Cacti

Not the typical plant to Finland, so obviously these are not from here, the locations were i took these are Red Rock area in Nevada and Nice in France. The last set is from Crete with yellow flowers.

Cacti, the so important part of nature in the desert. I found these as I went through my archive for this challenge Cacti

I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s NPC #18 Cacti

Friends

People, Photography

My grandson made a new friend and is so proud that he can walk without adults back and forth between the two houses here at the country house.

Summer 2023-9

For Cee´s Flower of the Day.

watching the clouds go by

Would you like to come cloud watching with me?
We can while away the afternoon
Just to step out of time is all we need
Looking out for the other rule

Cos there’s no place
I’d rather be
There’s no one
I’d rather see

Would you like to come cloud watching with me?
We can watch the world roll on by
Dreaming up all the endless possibilities
Staring into the open sky

Song by Abigail Dobson

Happy bee , be Happy

Summer holiday and at the summer house, so I am a bit slow in replies as the days are filled with three active grandchildren screaming and playing around. I had forgotten how much food boys consume…. 🙂 But this is a post about bees 🐝 and butterflies 🦋

Midnight

Photography, Traveling US

Midnight at my house in the countryside, love the summer light and yesterday we had some rain so the mist created a lovely atmosphere

The trees framed the scene beautifully

summer 2023 – 8

animals, Photography

June, summer is here even though the temperatures are not that high. Nature is giving us its best that’s for sure. Midsummer is here and we are enjoying the light.

Bees, the so important part of nature. I found these as I went through my archive for this challenge Bees

I found these as I went through my archive for Denzil’s NPC #17 Bees

Sequoia – 1

Huge mountains, rugged foothills. Gorgeous views in my opinion. Worth taking a photo in my mind.

I looked at my old photos and noticed many that I have not given too much thought to, these are two of them. In these photos from Sequoia- ( more to come)I am returning to my past style. Let the photos speak for themselves. As it what I am better at than writing 🙂

Stunning views

summer 2023 – 7

🌼 of the day! That’s it .

FOTD – June 20 – Bearded Iris

summer 2023 – 6

It is few daisy’s 🌼 , no need to say more.

For Cee´s Flower of the Day.

summer 2023 – 5