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Floriography is the art of sending a message via a bouquet of flowers. There have been many flowers with many interpretations throughout history, but some popular meanings in Victorian England included yellow roses (friendship), daffodils (unrequited love) and basil (I hate you).
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As fires continue to ravage Australia, two photographers on the New South Wales Central Coast have taken some hopeful images of rejuvenation.
Ventured out into the fire grounds today to capture some images of how the Aussie bush responds to fire, and the way it…
Posted by Murray Lowe on Monday, January 6, 2020
Mary Voorwinde and a friend saw how one ravaged area was already showing signs of new growth in Kulnura, New South Wales.
Fires came within miles of Voorwinde’s own Central Coast home, so the discovery inspired her to take her camera into the woods where she took some fantastic images of flowers growing around burnt tree trunks. Then she shared the images to show her fellow Australians and others that new life had arrived.
Another photographer, Murray Lowe, also saw young flowers and plants emerging through the char. He posted his shots on Facebook, to the amazement of tens of thousands of users. “Life bursts forth after the fires…,” he wrote.
Nature at it's best after a severe scorching …….. Image No 2
Posted by Murray Lowe on Tuesday, January 7, 2020
His photos have been liked more than 28,000 times with over 6,000 shares. Just when things seem so bleak, colors come back to brighten the scene.
“Nature at it’s best after a severe scorching…”
So many commented too, joyful at seeing such pretty flowers. “Amazing,” people wrote.
Posted by Murray Lowe on Friday, January 10, 2020
These areas were likely among the first to burn so regrowth at this point is entirely possible. Unfortunately, fires are still burning and destroying forestland, and though greenery may grow back, animals killed in the flames will never come back. And for species that are already vulnerable, this may be the final straw. We just don’t know.
But we can see a little bit of the future – and it certainly looking green.
The post These Encouraging Photos Show How the Fire-Ravaged Australian Bush Is Already Coming Back appeared first on UberFacts.
They’ve long been touted for their healing and restorative powers in the naturopathic community. Now, even the more scientific minded are starting to take notice of this humble backyard flower.
Also known as Taraxacum spp., with Taraxacum officinale the most common variety, these plants are typically dismissed as weeds. Homeowners hate them and will go to great lengths to get rid of them.
But dandelion are slowly showing us they are worth keeping around. So scroll through these 7 reasons why you should put away the weed killer and discover the potential benefits of dandelion.
This one doesn’t need any additional evidence—people have been eating dandelions for ages. The plants and flowers are full of nutritients, including vitamins A, C, K, E and small amounts of B vitamins (like folate), as well as antioxidants, like beta-carotene.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
Some studies have shown a reduction in inflammation markers in cells when dandelion compounds are applied—although these results haven’t been verified in humans yet.
Studies show compounds found in dandelions can improve the pancreas’ insulin secretion and improve the absorption of glucose, or sugar, in muscle tissues.
Photo Credit: Pexels
Studies with mice and rabbits have shown that test animals that have been fed a diet high in cholesterol and then treated with dandelion extract ended up with lowered cholesterol levels.
Dandelion is a known natural diuretic, and Western medicine credits reducing fluids in the body as a way lowered blood pressure. Also, dandelion is rich in potassium, which is also known for lowering blood pressure.
Photo Credit: Flickr
Animal studies show dandelion extract reduced the levels of excess fat stored in the liver and defended against oxidative stress in liver tissue.
Dandelion could possibly help with weight loss by improving carbohydrate metabolism and reducing fat absorption. Chlorogenic acid, one of the compounds found in dandelion was shown to aid with reducing body weight and levels of some fat-storage hormones in obese mice.
Photo Credit: Flickr
Though these results are exciting, many of these studies were done on animals or cell cultures in petri dishes—very few involving any testing on humans. Much more research is necessary before medicine declares the dandelion a miracle treatment, but the preliminary findings are showing there are benefits of keeping dandelion on hand.
Or in your lawn.
The post These Dandelion Health Benefits May Convince You Not to Treat Them like Weeds Anymore appeared first on UberFacts.
Spring is in the air all around, and after a long and dreary winter, it’s truly a delight to see all of nature in bloom again. This time of year is truly a magical season, but it’s especially gorgeous in Japan.
There’s a natural tendency for most of us to think of cherry blossom when we picture springtime in Japan, but today we’re here to put the spotlight on something we think is JUST as magical (if not more) – wisteria vines.
Wisteria plants grow long, flowering vines with flowers of various shades including white, yellow, pale blue, pink, and purple. Throughout Japan, there are several gorgeous wisteria gardens with man-made canopies for the plants to spread out on.
One of the most popular wisteria gardens in Japan is the Kawachi Wisteria Garden, located in the northern end of Kyusu Island. This private garden is only open to the public during wisteria season (April-May) and the maple leaf season in the fall.
The garden’s most prominent features are two 330-foot tunnels draped by 22 different varieties of wisteria plants.
Ok, definitely adding this to my bucket list.
The post Japan’s Wisteria Gardens Will Take Your Breath Away appeared first on UberFacts.
San Diego artist and college professor Yarely first wove a flower crown and popped it on her Australian shepherd as a simple prop for an Instagram pic. Little did she know, that simple crown would go on to become a successful brand.
Freya’s Floral Company creates beautiful flower crowns for dogs, cats (and also humans).
But how do you get a dog to wear a crown made of flowers? Yarely says it may be easier at first to fix the crown on your pup’s head with the attached ribbons tied under the chin like a bonnet. Or, even tied loosely around the neck like a fancy collar. For photos, she has trained Freya to lie down first and then she balances the crown on top. Also, treats!
She draws inspiration from how the flowers look on Freya. “It’s all about experimenting.” For custom orders, she spends as much time with each buyer as it takes to get the right colors and balance of fullness.
She also studies real floral arrangements to find her next ideas. The different types of flowers and colors spark her creativity.
Even Instagram celebrity and influencer Leonidas of leo.mainecoon (he’s a cat) likes to model Yarely’s crowns for his 155,000-plus followers. His fans are crazy about this look.
Handsome Leo knows he is special and beautiful in his majestic coronet. Some people are born royal, but in Yarely’s crowns, these pretty pets show us they are the true kings of Instagram.
The post Artist Makes Floral Crowns for Dogs and Cats, and We Need One ASAP appeared first on UberFacts.
Everybody loves flowers right? They’re pretty, they smell good and they liven up our living spaces.
Well, some of them definitely don’t love us back. In fact, they can be absolutely deadly.
Recently we looked at 5 Flowers That Would Straight up Kill You If They Had a Chance. Guess what? We’ve found five more.
So spend some time learning about this quintet of bad-ass blossoms so they don’t put you in an early grave.
Photo Credit: iStock
Lilies originated in Japan and are a wildly popular flower across the world. Because of that popularity, they not only come in many different varieties, but some flowers that are called lilies actually aren’t. Like daylily, water lily, and calla lily.
Not all varieties of the lily are poisonous, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be cautious. And while some types can cause symptoms as minor as skin irritation, if you ingest something like the Zigadenus fremontii (star lily; pictured below) it can be fatal.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
In general, lilies are more toxic to house pets like cats, so you’ll want to check before you bring a blossom into your house.
Photo Credit: iStock
Here’s a weird, wonderful fact about white oleander. It can cause your heart to slow down, but it can also be used to prevent heart failure. And it actually treats a variety of serious conditions like epilepsy and malaria.
But let’s just say you decide to go grab a handful of white oleander, stuff in your mouth and swallow – not a good idea, but let’s say it happens. What you should expect next are stomach pains, fainting, irregular heartbeat, stomach pain and complete disorientation.
So yeah, don’t do that. Because there are more than 300 varieties of oleander out there, and you just don’t need that trouble in your life.
Photo Credit: iStock
So how did kissing underneath a toxic collection of berries become a thing? Blame the Greeks – the ancient Greeks. During the festival of Saturnalia, people kissed under the mistletoe because they believed it helped with fertility. The tradition was later carried into marriage ceremonies and then on to the rest of us.
The good news is that mistletoe is rarely fatal. The bad news is you still need to seek medical attention. Because symptoms like blurred vision, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and extreme drowsiness can and will occur.
Photo Credit: iStock
Ahhh Wisteria. It kind of looks like lilac’s evil, sexier cousin. It originated in China, Korea and Japan, slowly made its way to the U.S., and now can be found blooming all over the east coast in pink, purple, white or blue flowers.
So what happens if you eat it? Bad things. Especially if you munch on the super poisonous seeds.
Abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting are on the menu for starters. Then comes the depression of the central nervous system. And this is one plant you want to keep far away from cats and dogs, because every plant in the genus will fuck up your furry friends.
Photo Credit: iStock
This one originated in Europe, Southwest Asia, and Northwest Africa and goes by many names: Atropa belladonna, deadly nightshade, Devil’s cherries, or, quite simply, belladonna.
Naturally, if it’s on this list, it is not to be messed with because it’s absolutely filled with toxins. Eat just a few of the berries and you’ll start to get really thirsty, experience dry mouth and rashes will begin popping up.
And then the fun really starts.
Delirium sets in, your pupils dilate and your nerve endings will be paralyzed in the involuntary muscles of your body. That’s very bad because the involuntary muscles are the ones that are supposed to just function on their own. Like our stomach and intestines. And our blood vessels. And our heart.
Yikes!
The post 5 Flowers That Are As Deadly As They Are Beautiful appeared first on UberFacts.
In the late 80s NASA studied house plants as a means of providing cleaner and purer air for their space stations. They found Peace Lilies and Chrysanthemums to be the best all rounders at air filtering. 20
It’s a faux pas in Russia to give your date a dozen flowers; You give an odd number of flowers for a happy occasion, and an even number for condolences.
#NationalPetDay . . . The shop is on vacation. 
Working on new pieces as much as possible. The beautiful California #superbloom is causing me INTENSE allergies. My progress is not nearly as much as I wish it was. #ironicallyallergictoflowers
. . . . . The shop is on vacation! During this time I will be working on a lot of different projects. I have lofty goals so idk of I’ll even get to it all. : : Here is my to do list : 
Make matching sets. (Two matching large crowns / two medium crowns etc.) 
#tooambitious
