We have several aloe vera plants in the garden, most are in containers. There are the plain green ones, some are spotted and one has variegated leaves.
We’ve probably had this Aloe Vera plant for 5 years. And this spring it started to blossom. I’m not sure when it will open up completely. So far I’ve seen succulent flowers come in shades of pink or yellow.
Notice the spiders have started to make the flowers their new home. I don’t mind spiders as much, as long as they keep out bad insects in the garden.
It’s a good idea to keep Aloe Vera around because of it’s medicinal value. What I like most is that it’s mostly low maintenance, so no green thumbs necessary. And of course it comes in handy for minor cuts and burns.
Last summer my mom let the wild purslane in her backyard garden to grow as they please. And now they have started to sprout all around the yard. And lucky for me since now I can make purslane salad.
The taste is similar to water spinach, but with a crunch from the stalks. For more flavor, try steaming it lightly.
So here’s my take on another fresh summer salad. It’s pretty much made with all the stuff from the garden. Except for the walnuts and dressing.
The fresh ripe apricots adds a bit of sweetness. While the plums gave it some tang. The greens were mostly purslane and a few baby broccoli.
Dressing is simple using rice bran oil and apple cider vinegar. Along with Himalayan salt and ground black pepper.
Read the rest of this entry »
These are some plants I’m growing in pots. It’s hard to see, but the bamboo plant is growing strong and turning green again.
I also got myself a little Meyer Improved Lemon tree, it’s really more of a stick with a few leaves. They are suppose to produce tangy, juicy, medium-sized lemons. But I’m sure that won’t be for a long while.
There is also a skinny aloe vera that needs some new soil soon. The round cactus doesn’t require much attention. And in the back is some peppermint. The big green leaves in the background are just Ivy.
Read the rest of this entry »
These soaps have just finished curing now. I’ve only used it for a couple of days and find the lather to be nicer than the ginger citrus bar. It is also a soft bar (due to the high amount of Castor oil and not enough fixed oils).
Cambree’s Aloe Vera & Green Tea Recipe:
10 oz Rice bran oil, 10 oz Olive oil, 8 oz Safflower oil, 4 oz Castor oil. Distilled water 12 oz. Sodium hydroxide 4 oz. Plus 1 packet of green tea powder, aloe vera gel from 1 aloe leaf.
I also decided to scent with melon (honeydew) fragrance. But it is very light smell and I don’t think I used enough of it. The common rule is 1/2 oz for 1 lb batch.
Read the rest of this entry »
I finally found out the name of my Aloe Vera. It’s from my Succulent Collection post.
This type of aloe does not have much gel. I like the fact that it has no sharp thorns along the edges unlike my other aloes. The green gray leaves with little lines are also very neat!
I noticed the stripes on my leaves and remember reading that some aloe have these “variegated” lines on the leaves. And also these aloe have coral colored blossoms. I look forward to seeing those blossoms. Here are some info I’ve gathered from Trio Nursery:
A handsome , tailored plant with a unique Variegation not often seen and rarely offered.
Brilliant Coral Pink to Orange flowers in branched cluster Feb / May.”
VARIEGATED CORAL ALOE, ALOE STRIATA VARIEGATATA - native to South Africa.
This is a Succulent member of the Lily family.
Its leaves are broad , and up to 20 inches long, spineless , gray green , with a narrow pinkish red edge.
The rosettes are up to 2 ft or more wide on a short trunk.
Some of my succulent plants from my collection. The small Aloe Vera variety with white freckles were taken from a friend’s garden. They don’t seem to get any bigger but do have many little “pups” (the baby plants). I repotted them this weekend, but ran out of potting soil first. I am bringing one indoor and seeing if it will grow with minimal sunshine.
Aloe Vera plants are great since they don’t require much water (especially in the winter). And they are consider to be evergreen perennial succulents. But I’m not sure how well they will grow in other parts of the U.S. with longer winter. But here in northern California it is growing fine.
Another thing that’s great about Aloe Vera is the gel inside can be used to soothe sunburns and also to help heal cuts. I also like using the gel in my handmade soap. But the variety I use is not pictured here. I get the big ones from my mother’s garden. They are heavy and plump with gel in the summer months.
Read the rest of this entry »
My first interest in plants came from growing succulents. After seeing how many different varieties of succulents are out there did I noticed their unique beauty. And since the are so easy to care for, it’s not hard to build a collection. Most succulents I have are usually from cuttings, and some are from the local nursery.
Succulent plants are water-retaining plants they like to grow in dry climates. They store water in their leaves, stems and roots. Because of the water stored in the leaves, the succulent plants have a swollen or fleshy appearance. Especially the leaves found in Aloe Vera and the Jade Plant of Dave’s Garden.
Of all places, I found this succulent (pictured here) called “Fox’s Ear” from the grocery store. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the scientific name of it. Scientific name is “Echeveria harmsii” or plush plant. It was just a small plant at first. And now it just kept on growing and blooming. I have made several cuttings of it and it’s doing very well. It took about 1 year for this version to bloom. It does so twice a year - in autumn and spring. I love the bright orange color of the blooms and the soft fat fuzzy leaves too.
Making a cutting of succulents are really easy. Just cut or break off a piece of the plant and stick it into a good soil. Most succulent growers would suggest that you let the cut surface callused before the cutting is planted. The cut will callus within a few days if left in a well circulated place. But I have just planted it right after breaking it off and never had any problems with propagation.
Read the rest of this entry »
Agave isn’t just grown for it’s syrup. It’s actually a very pretty ornamental succulent that could liven up any yard. Especially yards in in the South West or Western part of the U.S. I came across these great photos of different varieties of agave used in landscaping in California from Sunset magazine. I aspire to have a dessert garden someday.
“The light green leaves of a colony of A. attenuata contrast in this combo with the nearly black rosettes of Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’.” - Sunset Magazine. I like the contrast of green and deep purple in this garden.
“The thick spine-tipped leaves of Agave parryi add a touch of blue to the yellow-greens of sedums, aloes, and aeonium.” -Sunset Magazine. I really like this combo of 4 different types of succulents. The large aloe would provide me with great aloe vera gel.
We have a huge aloe vera plant growing in the backyard. One winter it almost died from the freeze, but we covered it up in time. Last summer we decided to re-pot the plant into a terra cotta planter. And to our amazement, it really loves the pot and has gotten even bigger. The beauty of it all is nothing compare to the wonder of it’s content.
We have used the inside gel for various home remedies. The first being is to heal cuts and wounds. I even use it on my face as a moisturizer. At first it goes on gooey, but it then becomes cooling and dries easily. Not sticky or strange smelling either. I actually prefer it over my own store bought face products.
The next thing on my list is to make aloe vera breakfast drinks. I had my first cup this morning. I just boiled a cup of water, add a bit of green tea, lemon juice, and honey. Mixed in the chopped aloe vera and sipped it bit by bit. It had a little bitter aftertaste, but it was very refreshing.
The above snapshot is from the nutritional juice maker at Vemma. They make aloe vera juice among their other health juice drinks. I have not seen any Vemma drinks in the states, but I would really like to give it a try. The only other brand I’ve tried is from Asia. They are getting very popular and sold in many of the Asian markets in the area. But I think my fresh made juice taste just as good.
Read the rest of this entry »
