Free Republic

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...

Okay, your HIGH is really screwin’ up my LAWN!!! People are IDIOTS and will ingest ANYTHING to catch a BUZZ — the latest — FLOWER SEEDS?! That’s right, people are CHEWING the seeds of: Hawaiian Baby Woodrose Sleepy Grass Blue Morning Glory Because they’re LEGAL, and apparently, mimic the high of LSD.

Researchers today announced in the journal Nature Plants the discovery of the first-ever fossil specimens of an "asterid" - a family of flowering plants that gave us everything from the potato to tomatoes, tobacco, petunias and our morning cup of coffee. But these two 20-30 million-year-old fossil flowers, found perfectly preserved in a piece of amber, came from the dark side of the asterid family - they belong to the genus Strychnos, which ultimately gave rise to some of the world's most famous poisons, including strychnine and curare. Poisons that would later find their way into blow-gun weapons, rat control,...

The Aztec Christmas Flower The Poinsettia was introduced from Mexico in the early 1800s by Joel Roberts Poinsett. Franciscan friars had been using them in their Christmas decorations. The poinsettia’s star-shaped leaf was said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem. The red leaves (yes, they are leaves) represented the blood of Jesus. Legends had arisen of a young girl and miracles occurring with the plant. Long before that the Aztecs had used them to make dyes and medication. They also used them in their human-sacrifice rituals, the leaves being a reminder of those who were sacrificed. Interesting to ponder that...

    ~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ The Legend of the Poinsettia A charming story is told of Pepita, a poor girl who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy. "I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes," said Pedro consolingly. Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a...

November 20, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Two years ago, San Diego based pro-life activist James Hartline used his on-line report to organize and promote a national boycott of Paul Ecke Ranch Christmas poinsettias due to the Ecke family's extensive history of financial support for abortion-giant Planned Parenthood (PP).  Hartline is now claiming a major boycott victory. Recent local reports indicate that, since the 1920's, this will be the first year the principal poinsettia producer in the nation, Ecke Ranch, will not produce and sell their typically large crop of the festive Christmas plant. The Ecke family's financial and ideological support...

Last January, I received an email that explained that most Poinsetta's come from Ecke Greenhouses. And that a lot of the Ecke fortune has been spent supporting Planned Parenthood and other groups that are anti-life. Having recently bought poinsettas, as part of the celebration of our Lords miraculous birth, I had wished that someone had told me the truth sooner. So this year I'm telling as many people as possible. Before they go shopping.

ENCINITAS, January 16, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Many pro-life organizations use Christmas season sales of poinsettias to raise funds, but according to a US-based researcher, so do Planned Parenthood and other abortionists in the US. James Hartline, a Christian activist in California wrote to LifeSiteNews.com warning that the poinsettias decorating the churches and homes of Christians in the US could easily originate from a family-owned business that has been supporting abortion for decades. The Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, California, supplies 70% of all of the poinsettias sold in the United States and the Ecke family is among the most generous supporters...

CUERNAVACA, Mexico - In the greenhouses of Mexico, people tell the story of the poinsettia plant with a touch of regret.   Back in the early 1800s, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, took home a Mexican plant that turned a brilliant red in the winter. Mexicans called it nochebuena, or Christmas Eve plant. Americans named it after Poinsett.   Now, the United States produces more poinsettias than any other country, patenting new varieties and reaping about $260 million a year in sales. Mexico, on the other hand, can't sell the plants in the United States because of restrictions on...