Striving4Zen

While some people have an innate ability to understand plants, not all of us were born with a green thumb. And now, with more folks turning to home gardening as a source of free produce and herbs (and potentially even longevity), we want to catch up.

Enter the EasyBloom Sensor, a user-friendly device that eliminates the need for trial and error.

Just put the sensor in your "garden" (whether that's your backyard or a pot on your windowsill) and it will gather environmental data like soil, light, temperature and humidity. After 24 hours, plug it into your USB drive and find out the best plants for that environment, how to care for them, and how to revive dying plants.

On top of that, the website lets you search an extensive plant database, make notes and log data to keep track of your progress. Before you know it, you'll find yourself with a living, breathing, and maybe even edible result.

Thanks!

Labels: cool new product, EasyBloom Sensor, garden, gardening, greenery, Holistic Health, innovative, plants

Brazil’s party plant, guarana, has seeds contain three times the caffeine as the coffee bean. That’s why it’s an energy drink staple, and the key, some say, to waking up lackluster skin. (The antioxidants help too.)

Korres Garcinia and Guarana Body Contouring Cream Gel ($38) targets cellulite; Dr. Brandt’s Infinite Moisture ($65) zaps wrinkles with the ferocity of a Red Bull. There’s a myth in Brazilian culture that domesticated guarana grew from the left eye of a beloved child. See if you’re convinced of guarana’s magical properties with Guarana Berry Volumizing Shampoo ($11) and Conditioner ($11) from the Body Shop.

Source

Labels: Brazil, energy drinks, guarana, plants, skincare

The recommended plants can be found below. Note that all the plants in the list are easily available from your local nursery.
1. Philodendron scandens `oxycardium', heartleaf philodendron2. Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron3. Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana', cornstalk dracaena4. Hedera helix, English ivy5. Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant6. Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig', Janet Craig dracaena7. Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii', Warneck dracaena8. Ficus benjamina, weeping fig9. Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos10. Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa', peace lily11. Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron12. Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen13. Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm14. Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant15. Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena
For an average home of under 2,000 square feet, the study recommends using at least fifteen samples of a good variety of these common houseplants to help improve air quality. They also recommend that the plants be grown in six inch containers or larger.

SOURCE

Labels: clean air, Houseplants, plants