Free Republic

An extract from dahlia flower petals has been found to stabilize blood sugar levels of diabetes patients in clinical trials. Associate Professor Alexander Tups showed that the inhibition of brain inflammation—brought about by the excess consumption of a Western diet—markedly improves blood sugar regulation. His team then went on to discover an anti-inflammatory plant molecule that acts in the brain and potently improves the ability of the body to process blood sugar. "We then found that the dahlia plant is a cultivatable source of this molecule and that it contains two additional plant molecules that enhanced the effect of the...

RENO, Nev. (AP) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed designating critical habitat for a Nevada wildflower it plans to list as endangered amid a conflict over a mine to produce lithium batteries for electric vehicles critical to the Biden administration’s plans to combat climate change. The agency on Wednesday proposed designating critical habitat for Tiehm’s buckwheat on a high-desert ridge near the California line halfway between Reno and Las Vegas. It’s the only place in the world the delicate, 6-inch-tall (15-centimeter) wildflower with yellow blooms is known to exist. It’s also the site where Ioneer USA Corp....

The new fossil flower, named Valviloculus pleristaminis, belongs to the order Laurales, its closest affinities being with the families Monimiaceae and Atherospermataceae. The specimen of Valviloculus pleristaminis has an egg-shaped, hollow floral cup (part of the flower from which the stamens emanate); an outer layer consisting of six petal-like components known as tepals; and two-chamber anthers, with pollen sacs that split open via laterally hinged valves. It became encased in amber on the supercontinent of Gondwana and rafted on a continental plate some 6,450 km (4,000 miles) across the ocean from Australia to Southeast Asia. Geologists have been debating just...

Here’s What Grows in King Jesus’ Garden Msgr. Charles Pope • August 13, 2018 • Flowers, besides being beautiful, have often been used in Christian tradition to signify virtues and remind us of the saints. For example, consider this brief meditation of St. Augustine on the virtues related to our state in life:I tell you again and again, my brethren, that in the Lord’s garden are to be found not only the roses of his martyrs. In it there are also the lilies of the virgins, the ivy of wedded couples, and the violets of widows. On no account...

China hopes to create a 'mini biosphere' on the dark side of the Moon, with flowers and silkworms sustaining each other as they grow on the lifeless lunar surface. The unprecedented plan to create life in outer space is the most intriguing part of China's lunar probe mission later this year, and could be a major boost for dreams that humans will one day live on the Moon.

A mild winter followed by a spate of cold weather in Washington, made its mark on the city’s cherry blossoms, but the annual festival delighted first-time visitors on Sunday. The cherry blossom trees were a gift from Japan to the United States in 1912. The cherry blossom trees currently grow in three National Park Service locations, including the Tidal Basin, Hains Point and on the Washington Monument grounds. The cold weather killed half of the blossoms on the Yoshino cherry trees just as they were reaching their peak. The National Park Service says on its website that peak bloom was...

Turning your cottage into the ultimate weekend getaway has never been more simple thanks to Adam Holman, as he drums up some easy, quirky and fun DIY projects that you can do next time you’re at the cottage.

A tease thread for those who can't wait for spring Color my world Morning Mist in a Daylily Garden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9te4c-8zBc Cooley's Iris Garden youtube.com/watch?v=gPxk5R2FJ_8 Edge Hill Gardens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUbv1nyUz_c PORTLAND, OR- JAPANESE GARDEN https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z2FXIqil1RU Luscher Farm's Clematis Collection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJuopjCP_Y0 IRIS, NOT JUST A NAME https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Yv-trVK1GeQ http://youtube.com/watch?v=w-tC8awgb_Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s-iYR38FaM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp2ah5_Pquc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTwzI-ISZMU Morning Mist in a Daylily Garden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9te4c-8zBc

Flower Fossils 100,000,000 Years Out of Place? by Brian Thomas, M.S. * European scientists have now discovered flowering plant fossils in rock layers supposedly 100,000,000 years older than expected.1 This new finding challenges conventional evolutionary assumptions as scientists struggle to account for what they interpret as an enormous time gap. Publishing in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science, Peter Hochuli and Susanne Feist-Burkhardt described fossil-pollen grains recovered from a drill core in the north of Switzerland.1 They wrote, "In this paper we focus on fossil evidence, presenting the so far oldest angiosperm-like pollen from the Middle Triassic (ca. 243Ma), a...

Doctors appointment today so I made it into town. The tide was low so most of the waders were on the saltwater flats. This is the big freshwater pond near Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine. These Mallard ducklets are pretty independent, momma was around but not really herding them. The White Ibis is one of last year's chicks, the white plumage is coming on strong. The Double Crested Cormorants feed in this pond but they were napping this morning.The flower is a Tradescantia, or Spiderwort.

Fruits in my fruit bowl tend to rot into a mulchy mess after a couple of weeks. Fruits that are chilled in permanent Siberian ice fare rather better. After more than 30,000 years, and some care from Russian scientists, some ancient fruits have produced this delicate white flower. These regenerated plants, rising like wintry Phoenixes from the Russian ice, are still viable. They produce their own seeds and, after a 30,000-year hiatus, can continue their family line. The plant owes its miraculous resurrection to a team of scientists led by David Gilichinsky, and an enterprising ground squirrel. Back in the...

MOSCOW (AP) -- It was an Ice Age squirrel's treasure chamber, a burrow containing fruit and seeds that had been stuck in the Siberian permafrost for over 30,000 years. From the fruit tissues, a team of Russian scientists managed to resurrect an entire plant in a pioneering experiment that paves the way for the revival of other species. The Silene stenophylla is the oldest plant ever to be regenerated, the researchers said, and it is fertile, producing white flowers and viable seeds. The experiment proves that permafrost serves as a natural depository for ancient life forms, said the Russian researchers,...

I spent about 3 hours at the flower and garden show, got tired long before I covered everything. The exhibits were spread out over at least 4 or 5 acres, and there were more displays in the main conference room. They were running gardening clinics in another room.It's a charity event sponsored by the garden clubs.The turnout was impressive and it's still got another day to run.Y'all keep the noise down, I'm gonna take a nap!

Zippity Doo Dah Zippity Ay My oh my What a wonderful day. Plenty of sunshine Comin' my way. Zippity Doo Dah Zippity Ay Mr. Bluebird on my shoulder, It's the truth; It's actual; Everything is satisfactual. Zippity Doo Dah Zippity Ay Wonderful feeling, Wonderful day!

When the Cottonmouth Mocassins come out you know it's really Spring!

I spent some time at the St. John's County Arboretum today, by next week it's going to explode with blossoms. The annual garden show is less than a month from now, my friend the master gardener is working hard to get things ready.Some of these shots are of the same flowers as my last posting but they're all new from today. More variety is on the way

Down in the upper 30s ar night but near 70 in the daytime and things are popping out all over. The little pear trees are blooming like never before.The annual flower and garden show starts this coming wek at the St. John's County Arboretum. There is always enough pretty stuff there to keep a camera working. It's almost Easter, Freeper folks!

Something for all you frozen Northern Freepers to look forward to!Hang in there, Spring is coming!

The Daffodils are popping, the bees are busy and the birds are almost ready to pair off and build nests. Today, in sunny St. John's County Florida.

Got out for a while, but I'm just going to have to accept that I can't take the heat anymore. 5 minutes in the Sun and I start getting light headed The tomcat is Loki, he is very gentle but on the wild side. It's taken him 3 years to fully trust me. He weighs at least 20 pounds, not too much fat. He just showed up one day skinny and hungry. He flinched any time you moved your hands.