Oxalis Stricta, called the common yellow wood sorrel, common yellow oxalis, upright yellow-sorrel, lemon clover, or more ambiguously and informally "sour grass"  or "pickle plant". It is an herbaceous plant, native to North America, parts of Eurasia, and has a rare introduction in Britain.  It tends to grow in woodlands, meadows, and in disturbed areas as both a perennial and annual.  Erect when young, this plant later becomes decumbent as it lays down, and branches regularly. Commonly considered a weed of gardens, fields, and lawns, it grows in full sun or shade. The alternate leaves of this plant are divided into three heart-shaped leaflets (a typical trait of other species of Oxalis) that can grow up to 2 cm wide. These leaves curl up at night (exhibiting nyctinasty), and open in the day to perform photosynthesis. The mature seed capsules open explosively when disturbed (a very similar trait to that of the mature seed capsules or fruits of plants found in the genus Impatiens) and can disperse seeds up to 13 feet away. The flowers of the plant are hermaphroditic, blooming from July to October.  Oxalis Stricta generally requires dry or moist, alkaline soils, preferring sandy and loamy dirt to grow in. It requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor grounds. It does not do well in shade.  All parts of the plant are edible, with a distinct tangy flavor (as is common in all plants in the genus Oxalis).  The leaves and flowers of the plant are sometimes added to salads for decoration and flavoring. These can also be chewed raw (along with other parts of the plant, but not the root) as a thirst quencher.  The green pods are pleasant raw, having a juicy crisp texture and a tartness similar to rhubarb in flavor.  The leaves can be used to make a flavored drink that is similar in taste to lemonade, and the whole plant can be brewed as a tisane that has an aroma somewhat like that of cooked green beans.  The juices of the plant have been extracted from its greens as a substitute to common vinegar.  An orange dye can be obtained by boiling the whole plant.  For medicinal uses Oxalis Stricta contains large amounts of vitamin c. An infusion of the plant has been used to treat fevers, stomach cramps and nausea. A poultice of the plant has been used to treat swellings.

Crape Myrtle Tree 

Tips on Cutting Fresh Flowers

Your garden is abundant and blooming with your favorite flowers.  Here are a few tips on preserving the beautiful blooms. 

Maintaining your arrangement:

• Change the water completely every 2 days.
• Keep out of direct sunlight
• Give daffodils their own vase - they release a compound toxic to other flowers
• Keep away from fruit, which release gas that cause flowers to age quicker
• Use floral packets.  They are composed of chemicals that kill bacteria, yeast and fungi that feed on the sap that seeps from the cut flower stem.  If you allow bacteria to accumulate, this plugs up the stems and blocks water flow to the flower resulting in buds failing to open, necks weaken and ben and the leaves wilt.  The acid helps water move up the stem and the sugar acts as food.
• Use cold water for bulb flowers such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths

Natural Alternatives for prolonging flower life:

• Penny & aspirin - acts as a fungicide and makes the water more acidic
• One part lemon-lime soda to three parts water.  Add 1/4 tsp of bleach after 4 days of use.
• One quart water add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon bleach
• 2 ounces of listerine per gallon of water

Fire Prevention and Surving a Fire

Fire Prevention

1. Install Smoke Detectors .

Smoke detectors save lives. Working smoke detectors reduce the chances of death in a fire by half. Nearly 900 lives could be saved annually if every home had working smoke detectors. Even just one smoke detector reduces the chances of death by almost half. Nearly half of all fire survivors remember hearing their smoke alarm. Do not ignore the sound of the alarm! Most deaths due to fire occur at night when people are sleeping.

Smoke detector maintenance:

•        The most common cause of smoke detector failure is missing or disconnected batteries.
•       There are more homes with no working smoke detectors than there are homes without smoke detectors at all.
•        Smoke detectors should be installed on every level of your home.
•        Change batteries twice a year (good to do at daylight savings time), replace unit every ten years and clean your detectors regularly.

2. Inspect Electrical Appliances

• Look for wear and tear of electrical plugs and wires to determine if it needs replacement. Never leave stoves, toasters, irons, barbecues or candles unattended.

3. Cigarette Safety

• Do not smoke in bed. Make sure cigarettes/cigars are completely extinguished before leaving the room.

4. Don't play with fire

• This causes many unnecessary emergencies, which can hurt and kill many people and is a leading cause of forest fires.  False alarms waste valuable manpower and resources, which may be needed desperately at a real emergency. Any time firefighters ride trucks, they are at risk. Eighteen percent of firefighter deaths occur while responding to calls.

Surviving a Fire

1. Have a family plan in effect and stage a practice fire drill.

2. Leave your house immediately.Get out and stay out, Each year many people are injured or killed because they reenter their burning homes. Your posessions can be replaced, your life cannot.

 3. If your clothing catches on fire, the most effective method of extinguishing the fire is to stop, cover your face, drop to the ground, and roll back and forth to smother the flame.

4. Never assume that someone has already called the fire department. Do so immediately.

Boulder Designs provides a maintenance free boulder that can be customized for your particular application.  It can be imprinted with your logo, street address, etc. and will weather the elements.  I would like your opinion on a new potential product.  There is a total of 3 questions.

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