Names of all Flowers

**Taking on the Power Companies In Cental NY*

2009-04-25T02:10:00.001-07:00

Windmills are being planned for all over the senic vistas of New York. There are major problems with windpower that are not being addressed. Windmills kill birds. They are eyesores, they make noise pollution, they can change the weather patterns for an area, they can flicker at times durring the day with the shadows that they cast, and they can rob adjacent property owners of the enjoyment of thier property.

The magnitude of their investment and their freedom from malice furnish no reason why power companies should escape the consequences of their own folly in building these giant turbines. The need for clean and green power IS NO EXCUSE FOR A TAKING OF PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS.

As in the case of Amsterdam Knitting Co v Dean, 162 NY 278, 280; 56 NE 757 (27 March 1900) (Even if the damages are slight [death is not, it seems to be well settled that where the act complained of is such that by its repetition or continuance it may become the foundation or evidence of an adverse right, a court of equity will interpose by injunction, though no actual damage is shown or found.)

I guess for the power companies, I say, Caveat Emptor. Build your towers and disturb our quite enjoyment and reap the legal whirlwind that will follow.

For the rest of the farmers who stand by and take no legal redress....
Buy More Rat Poison....Because.....Birds of Prey Are Doomed!!! Yes you will need more rat poision when birds of prey are gone. Yes a legal means of killing endangered species has been found by NY State officials: Using Wind Power....The Perfect Killing Machine Our Government supports. Just when eagles are making a come back, our government begins to allow devices that will chop them up. The well documented problems with windmills and bird kills( see http://www.energy.ca.gov/reports/avianbibliography.html ) and has widely been reported ( see http://www.ncpa.org/studies/renew/renew2d.html ). There are many web sites that can be obtained from a google search that I did such as this site: http://www.windaction.org/articles/c36/ .

I believe that in the case of the planned mills in Fairfield NY, many eagles and hawks will be killed. Most birds will be killed by the rotors. Their numbers and type will be determined by the number of rotors their average wind speed. and the location they are placed in flyways. You can encourage your public officals by CALLING AND EMAILING THEM RE WIND PROJECTS IN NY.
Please call all the following officals and tell them YOUR TRUE FEELINGS ABOUT KILLING ENDANGERED SPECIES and the needless killing that will occur by supporting these projects:

Number of Members:
Claudine Grande Phone: 315-866-6886

Mildred S Wheeler Phone: 315-866-3209

Dolores D Walawender Phone: 315-866-0137

Jean E Maneen -Phone: 315-894-2034

Gary G Jackson -Phone: 315-894-2579

Leonard Hendrix - Phone: 315-894-3211

Robert Hyde - Phone: 315-866-1898

John L Brezinski - Phone: 315-732-6397

Peter F Manno - Phone: 315-894-5454

Raymond Smith - Phone: 315-429-9433

If these publisc officials are not told how you feel they will do it to others. Please call all of these officials today!!

On a Happier note why not visit Bucks County?

If your destination is Doylestown in Central Bucks County, you are in luck because our Fountainville farm is located 1 mile west of Doylestown Pennsylvania,( at 5275 W. Swamp Rd.) whose name is not at all derived from the many deer to be found (that would be too easy), was established, wa-a-a-y back in 1681 when the king of England, Charles II, owed one of his old admirals 16,000 pounds Sterling. (That's about 4 million of our 2005 dollars.) For payment of the debt, it became the admiral's son who was given a ract (a parcel, a piece) of land in he New World, on the northern continent of the western hemisphere before it got the name America.

When William Penn saw just the eastern edge of the 40,000 square miles he had gotten he was most pleased, understandably so, with a forest that seemed to never end. Dad's woods, he thought, deciding to name the place where he would start a democratic sort of Quaker colony, Pennsylvania, Penn, -sylv (a Latin word root meaning woods), -ania (Latin suffix for land). So that's why our home sounds like Count Dracula's (Tran -sylv -ania, tran for etween, as in, between the Carpathian Mountains and the old Principality of Wallachia in what is today's Romania, there's a land which is woods. Maybe Newfoundland should have been named Newfoundania? Naah.

William Penn established just three counties at first, all in the southeastern corner of his wooded land, all with names from mother England. Philadelphia County surrounded the original village there, Chester County was to the south, and Bucks County to the north.

In England, Buckinghamshire was, and still is, a county just northwest of London that forms an irregular rectangle running from the southeast at the edge of London, northwesterly. BUCKinghamShire, was shortened to Bucks in conversation. So William Penn named his land's similarly sized, irregular rectangle county, which ran northwesterly from Philadelphia's edge, Bucks County. Of course when you come to our farm be prepared to visit our county and experience its diverse culture and history.

When you come to visit us at Highland Hill Farm an interesting place to visit is always Haycock Mountain. It is a cooled 130-million year old almost a volcano that didn't get to come out of the ground. It stayed below, but made the ground bulge upward, and the hot, liquid magma cooled to form coarse-grained diabase rock. Ayres' Rock in Australia and Wyoming's Devil's Tower are world-famous examples of what is called a laccolith. Milk is lacco in Latin and lith means stone. Haycock Mountain is a laccolith, Buck's County's highest point at 959 feet above sea level.

Haycock Township surrounds the mountain. Haycock Elementary School is having their annual band concert at the nearby high school in the town of McLean on Tuesday, December 20, this year. You don't think that Bucks County has a town named McLean? You're absolutely right! Although there's the Haycock Elementary School we know on Old Bethlehem Road (Route 212), there's another one at the intersection of Haycock Road (Route 703) and Westmoreland Street, in McLean, Virginia just a few miles across the Potomac River west of Washington, D.C. Then, there's Haycock Mountain, in the southwestern part of the state of Utah, not to be confused with Haystack Mountain, Utah. Haycock Mountain, Alaska deserves mention, as well as Haycock Mound in Kansas. What's in a name?, Shakespeare observed over 400 years ago.

So you get the point; haycock is a common word, but just what is a haycock? Before the days of baling machines, cut grasses for haying were spread out in the sun to dry (gotta make hay while the sun shines) and then collected to be taken to where it would be stored. That dome-shaped mound, that pile, that heap, that stack of hay, will have a rounded top exactly like our Haycock Mountain in Bucks County.

If there's no barn with a mow (pronounce it like Chairman Mao) to store the hay out of the rain and snow, an extra large haycock can be piled up and this hayrick will have a protective outer layer of hay that will be used for bedding the farm animals, or for composting, etc. If a roof set on poles can be created to cover the hayrick, much less of the hay will have to get wet and subsequently rot... So there's a Hayrick Mountain in Texas and another Hayrick Mountain in Oregon. What's in a name? Try, Highland Hill Farm? And guess what we Raise? Highland Cattle and Nursery stock. Our most popular tree is the Green Giant arborvitae. Here is why:

The hardiness zone the Green Giant Arborvita tolerates is from zone 5 to zone 8. That's where extreme cold temperatures get down to a temperate level of about 15 or 20 degrees in the winter (Zone 8), but also as low as a frigid level of 15 or 20 degrees BELOW zero (zone 5). Green giants are evergreens, being cedars. Their rapid growth rates can in ideal conditions reach 3 feet per year. Site requirements for the Green Giant Arborvita are sun to partial shade, moist well drained soil preferred (but still does well in clay), and protection from wind, at lest when young.

The Green Giant is a beautiful tree. It has an aesthetically fine form. It's conical, being narrow to broadly pyramidal, reaching from 50 feet to 80 feet in height in southeastyern Pennsylvania. The width at the base of the cone is usually about 15 feet to 20 feet. The leaves are rich green making graceful foliage.

Green Giants make a superb privacy screen and living fences. They keep their foliage color year 'round, great for brightening bleak gray winter days with snow on the ground. The cinnamon bright red bark when young turn rich russet brown with time crating a strong contrast with the needle leaves.

Green Giants' flowers, their fruit are pretty little light brown half-inch female cones. (Just so you know, Green giants are females, so its okay to call the cones pretty.) The Green Giant is also a wonderful shade tree, casting a dark, dense shade. The wood is strong too, once the tree is beyond its youth.

This is an arborvita that should outlive even your grandchildren. There are Green Giants out west documented to be over 300 years old. Just don't plant these too close to the ocean, or roads in areas where there's a lot of salt used for snow removal. If you get over 100 inches of snowfall and more per year, no roadside Arborvita planting where salt is used, PLEASE. The greatest soldier of ancient Greece in the Trojan war had his one little weak spot, what proved to be a fatal flaw, and the Achilles Heel for Green Giant Arborvitas is hypersensitivity to salt. If you plants this Arborvitas just keep away from the splash of road salt and it will make a great living fence.

Trades Wanted: By the Farm Trader Of Bucks County

Our nurseries, farms, and ranches are always in need of all sorts of used items. We are always looking to trade for items that we might be able to use in our operations. We believe that the best way for us to obtain needed supplies is to have a hardware store approach to inventory for our operations. We want to have all sorts of materials on hand and at many of our locations to supply a lower cost source of materials for the operations. This means we buy in bulk, and accept used or items that need repairs. We have the ability to fabricate some of our own equipment so that means we will collect salvaged iron, metal pipe, and construction materials. We build our own additions and do our own renovations to our properties so used constructions materials are wanted. I am color blind so colors don't matter. Roofing shingles need not match, only protect.

We are always looking for used power equipment and tools. It is easier to have tools on site than to carry needed tools to some of our remote operations. Thus we want all types of machinery. We can modify and repair items and thus condition of the item may not be suitable for your needs but great for ours.

Do you have rolls or partial rolls of barbed wire or woven wire? Fence supplies, electric chargers, fencing tools, gate, posts.... We can trade. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/TradesWanted.html

We are also interest in collecting rocks and boulders that we can sell at our nurseries. Wall stone and old building foundations are great sources of rock and stone. Why throw it out we may be able to recycle it? You may also have left over pavers and flagstone. We again are interested in them.

We have a store in Milan Pa that sells used items from furniture to farm equipment. There is virtually no item that is reusable that we can't sell or recycle for you. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/MilanHirst.html

Do you like to hunt? We have lots of recreational sites on our farms and ranches. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/recreationalops2.html for information on hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, arrowhead hunting, bird watching, bone hunting and meteorite hunting on our ranches and farms. Maybe you could just help us by transporting items from one farm and ranch to another.

So when are you coming to visit Bucks County?

http://www.zone5trees.com , http://www.highlandhillfarm and http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.greengiantarbs.com

About the Author

James Ryan has a large nursery in Bucks County Pa near Doylestown. He has thousands of Green Giants and writes about there uses. His web sites include http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.digatree.com/Living Fences

Your Destination : Central Bucks County Pa USA

2009-04-09T14:50:00.001-07:00

Highland Hill Farm is located 1 mile west of Doylestown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania,( at 5275 W. Swamp Rd.) whose name is not at all derived from the many deer to be found (that would be too easy), was established, wa-a-a-y back in 1681 when the king of England, Charles II, owed one of his old admirals 16,000 pounds Sterling. (That's about 4 million of our 2005 dollars.) For payment of the debt, it became the admiral's son who was given a ract (a parcel, a piece) of land in he New World, on the northern continent of the western hemisphere before it got the name America.

Trades Wanted: By the Farm Trader Of Bucks County

Do you have rolls or partial rolls of barbed wire or woven wire? Fence supplies, electric chargers, fencing tools, gate, posts.... We can trade. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/TradesWanted.html

So when are you coming to visit Bucks County?

http://www.zone5trees.com , http://www.highlandhillfarm and http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.greengiantarbs.com

About the Author

Giants Arborvitae Doylestown Pa Plant of the Year

2009-04-08T08:37:00.001-07:00

Our Fountainville Pa farm is located about 1 mile west of Doylestown in historic Central Bucks County, Pennsylvania,( at 5275 W. Swamp Rd. also know as Rt 313) whose name is not at all derived from the many deer to be found (that would be too easy), was established, wa-a-a-y back in 1681 when the king of England, Charles II, owed one of his old admirals 16,000 pounds Sterling. (That's about 4 million of our 2006 dollars.) For payment of the debt, it became the admiral's son who was given a ract (a parcel, a piece) of land in he New World, on the northern continent of the western hemisphere before it got the name America.

In merry old England, Buckinghamshire was, and still is, a county just northwest of London that forms an irregular rectangle running from the southeast at the edge of London, northwesterly. BUCKinghamShire, was shortened to Bucks in conversation. So William Penn named his land's similarly sized, irregular rectangle county, which ran northwesterly from Philadelphia's edge, Bucks County. Of course when you come to our farm be prepared to visit our county and experience its diverse culture and history.

When you come to visit our nursery at Highland Hill Farm in Fountainville, an interesting place to visit is always Haycock Mountain. It is a cooled 130-million year old almost a volcano that didn't get to come out of the ground. It stayed below, but made the ground bulge upward, and the hot, liquid magma cooled to form coarse-grained diabase rock. Ayres' Rock in Australia and Wyoming's Devil's Tower are world-famous examples of what is called a laccolith. Milk is lacco in Latin and lith means stone. Haycock Mountain is a laccolith, Buck's County's highest point at 959 feet above sea level.

So when are you coming to visit Bucks County?

http://www.zone5trees.com , http://www.highlandhillfarm and http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.greengiantarbs.com

About the Author

/////Green Giants Arborvitae #18831

2009-04-05T18:12:00.001-07:00

Our Fountainville farm is located 1 mile west of Doylestown in Central Bucks County, Pennsylvania,( at 5275 W. Swamp Rd.) whose name is not at all derived from the many deer to be found (that would be too easy), was established, wa-a-a-y back in 1681 when the king of England, Charles II, owed one of his old admirals 16,000 pounds Sterling. (That's about 4 million of our 2005 dollars.) For payment of the debt, it became the admiral's son who was given a ract (a parcel, a piece) of land in he New World, on the northern continent of the western hemisphere before it got the name America.

So when are you coming to visit Bucks County?

http://www.zone5trees.com , http://www.highlandhillfarm and http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.greengiantarbs.com

About the Author

Ideas On What To Get Or Make For That Special Someone

2009-04-03T13:10:00.001-07:00

You can make him/her a card and get a gift later. It's not a big deal if you get a gift now or later. You can stay at home and make him/her a nice dinner. You could try to get as much cash as you can and get a gift card.

When you do get a gift for him/her you can get is somewhat cheap. For example a new expansion for a computer game or a video game, an accessory for there car or a computer. Just buy him/her something that you know that he/she would appreciate. There are some gifts you could make.

Well considering that you guys have been friends for so long and probably have a lot of memories it might be nice if you could make him/her something like a photo album. You could include pictures of things that remind you of him/her. For example, the first place that you met, people you'll both always remember, clips of his/her favorite things. You can also write a poem or choose a cute adventure story about him/her. You can make it very creative and fun.

As the years go on you can add more and more to the album it would make it more meaningful for the both of you. You can include pictures of pets and names that have changed throughout your relationship and things that use to or still find annoying and wonderful about each other.

You can also make him/her a picture frame. You can either buy one or you could make one out of large popsicle sticks. And in the middle include a picture of yourself. If you go to kinkos you could even make him/her a calendar. Another thing would be to make him/her some of there favorite chocolate or cookies and send that with a bouquet of flowers. All you would need for the bouquet is some handpicked or bought flowers and a couple of long thin sticks. Get a nice sized candy, like starburst and poke the end of the stick into the candy. Then make the bouquet.

Well there are many gifts you could give him/her that don't involve an insane amount of money. You could make something that would remind you of her. It's very meaningful and you can make it in a couple of days. It's very sweet and that's the best way to go for someone you deeply love but is still considered a friend. You could get her a chap piece of jewelry too.

To keep the relationship stable you guys need to keep in contact. Talk to her on the phone and through email or instant messenger. It's hard to keep a relationship stable if you guys want to remain friends but your other option is to do just that. Remain friends. Keep in contact and call him/her occasionally to see how he/she's doing.

I recommend that people try and get their loved ones gifts they know are going to be liked and appreciated. Of course, to be able to get such a gift, you need to know the person you're getting it for rather well. In your case, however, it is just not a possibility. You have hardly met this person and just won't know at this point what there tastes are. So what I would recommend to you is going with the idea of exploring your own words about the best present for someone that you like, still don't know that well, but would really like to get to know better. Specifically, what I am talking about is getting them something that will tell him/her more about you. For example, you can get them a copy of your most favorite book or a CD of your most favorite music and as you present it to them, tell him/her that this is something that you really like, that it is a part of who you are and that you would like to share it with him/her. I'm sure something along these lines would make a great gift.

Victor Epand is an expert commentator at www.CustomDesignPostcards.com.

We Grow Our Own Trees

2009-03-30T21:31:00.001-07:00

In Eastern Pennsylvania farmers used to get up to milk the cows and due their chores early in the morning.. My, have things changed since was a boy. Not only are there very few of us left, but we have had to cope with urban sprawl. Our farm is in Bucks County. This county and Montgomery County are some of the fastest going suburban areas on the East Coast. In the morning I go downtown and take my father to breakfast at 6am. Yes, I can start the day at anytime but this is the best hour. This trip is not so much for the meal which I don't really need, but to check out route each day that the trash trucks will follow. I want to make sure I do my shopping early!!! This way I can check out the early morning trash routes for the free bargains that are set out during the night. I have come home many a time with a full load in my pickup truck. I even got a Frozen Purdue Chicken last month, boy was it tasty!!!

Yes, I am an urban farmer. Our farm is in the heart of Bucks County, just 25 miles north of Philadelphia. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/Palocations.html The last dairy cows have been sold in our area, so you can imagine, fields and fields of houses surround our farm. But, our good neighbors do provide us with their discarded items. We have found this as our new resource. Thus we have come up with new ways to capitalize on being a suburban farmer.

If there was ever a place where one can take a bull by the horns, its on a farm. There are many ways to operate a farm. Farmers can buy or build there own equipment. Farmers can collect what is junk to most people, but is inventory to the farmer. An old car to a farmer can become a mobile tool box, some old cars become shelters for farm pigs, or old cars become sources of needed parts for repair of other machinery. At Highland Hill Farm, we value items that most people would put out to the trash. This article is about us, and our collecting of used items for use on our properties.

Our nurseries, farms, and ranches are always in need of all sorts of used items. We are always looking to trade for items that we are able to use in our operations. We use steel, such as angle iron and metal rods. Old bed frames make a cheap substitute for angle iron. Old curtain rods are a great substitute for metal rods. Old hangers, well, we use them in place of welding rods.

We believe that the best way for us to obtain needed supplies is to have a hardware store approach to inventory for our operations. We want to have all sorts of materials on hand and at many of our locations to supply a lower cost source of materials for the operations. This means we buy in bulk, and accept used or items that need repairs. We have the ability to fabricate some of our own equipment so that means we will collect salvaged iron, metal pipe, and construction materials. We build our own additions and do our own renovations to our properties so used constructions materials are wanted. I am color blind so colors don't matter. Roofing shingles need not match, only protect.

Do you have rolls or partial rolls of barbed wire or woven wire? Fence supplies, electric chargers, fencing tools, gate, posts.... We can trade. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/TradesWanted.html

We have a store in Milan Pa that sells used items from furniture to farm equipment. There is virtually no item that is unusable that we can't sell or recycle for you. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/MilanHirst.html

We are not a one way street. We have thousands of plants from seedlings and liners to 20' trees. We grow trees, plants, and shrubs in Fountainville and Milan Pa. See our web site for details on plants that we carry. http://www.seedlingsrus.com

Do you like to hunt? We have lots of recreational sites on our farms and ranches. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/recreationalops2.html for information on hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, arrowhead hunting, bird watching, bone hunting and meteorite hunting on our ranches and farms. Maybe you could just help us by transporting items from one farm and ranch to another.
Highland Hill Farm farm is located 1 mile west of Doylestown in Central Bucks County, Pennsylvania,( at 5275 W. Swamp Rd.) ( for our location near Doylestown see http://www.seedlingsrus.com/Palocations.html ) whose name is not at all derived from the many deer to be found (that would be too easy), was established, wa-a-a-y back in 1681 when the king of England, Charles II, owed one of his old admirals 16,000 pounds Sterling. (That's about 4 million of our 2006 dollars.) For payment of the debt, it became the admiral's son who was given a ract (a parcel, a piece) of land in he New World, on the northern continent of the western hemisphere before it got the name America.

In England, Buckinghamshire was, and still is, a county just northwest of London that forms an irregular rectangle running from the southeast at the edge of London, northwesterly. BUCKinghamShire, was shortened to Bucks in conversation. So William Penn named his land's similarly sized, irregular rectangle county, which ran northwesterly from Philadelphia's edge, Bucks county. Of course when you come to our farm be prepared to visit our county and experience its diverse culture and history.

When you come to visit us at Highland Hill Farm in Fountainville, an interesting place to visit is Haycock Mountain. It is a cooled 130-million year old almost a volcano that didn't get to come out of the ground. It stayed below, but made the ground bulge upward, and the hot, liquid magma cooled to form coarse-grained diabase rock. Ayres' Rock in Australia and Wyoming's Devil's Tower are world-famous examples of what is called a laccolith. Milk is lacco in Latin and lith means stone. Haycock Mountain is a laccolith, Buck's County's highest point at 959 feet above sea level.

The Green Giant is a beautiful tree. It has an aesthetically fine form. It's conical, being narrow to broadly pyramidal, reaching from 50 feet to 80 feet in height in southeastern Pennsylvania. The width at the base of the cone is usually about 15 feet to 20 feet. The leaves are rich green making graceful foliage.

This is an arborvita that should outlive even your grandchildren. There are Green Giants out west documented to be over 300 years old. Just don't plant these too close to the ocean, or roads in areas where there's a lot of salt used for snow removal. If you get over 100 inches of snowfall and more per year, no roadside Arborvita planting where salt is used, PLEASE. The greatest soldier of ancient Greece in the Trojan war had his one little weak spot, what proved to be a fatal flaw, and the Achilles Heel for Green Giant Arborvitae is hypersensitivity to salt. If you plants this Arborvitas just keep away from the splash of road salt and it will make a great living fence.

So when are you coming to visit us in Bucks County?

See our many web sites at:

http://www.zone5trees.com , http://www.highlandhillfarm and http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.greengiantarbs.com
http://www..HuntingRelics.com
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About the Author

Bill Hirst has been growing plants on his 200 acre farm in Bucks County for 30 years. His web sites are http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.digatree.com You can see Bill's fossil hunting web site at http://www.huntingrelics.com Sign up for Bill's newsletter at http://www.seedlingsrus.com/123456signup.html

Plant #18831..Arborvitae

2009-03-30T20:37:00.001-07:00

Our Fountainville Pa farm is located near Doylestown in Central Bucks County, Pennsylvania,( at 5275 W. Swamp Rd.) whose name is not at all derived from the many deer to be found (that would be too easy), was established, wa-a-a-y back in 1681 when the king of England, Charles II, owed one of his old admirals 16,000 pounds Sterling. (That's about 4 million of our 2006 dollars.) For payment of the debt, it became the admiral's son who was given a ract (a parcel, a piece) of land in he New World, on the northern continent of the western hemisphere before it got the name America.

In England, Buckinghamshire was, and still is, a county just northwest of London that forms an irregular rectangle running from the southeast at the edge of London, northwesterly. BUCKinghamShire, was shortened to Bucks in conversation. So William Penn named his land's similarly sized, irregular rectangle county, which ran northwesterly from Philadelphia's edge, Bucks county. Of course when you come to our farm be prepared to visit our county and experience its diverse culture and history.

So when are you coming to visit Bucks County?

http://www.zone5trees.com , http://www.highlandhillfarm and http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.greengiantarbs.com

About the Author

Bill Hirst has information on plants and shrubs for the Doylestown Pa. area go to his web site at http://www.digatree.com or You can also signup for his weekly E-Newsletter at http://www.seedlingsrus.com/123456signup.html

Valentine's Day Around The World

2009-03-30T20:34:00.001-07:00

Whether in the United States of America or in Europe, in the Northern Hemisphere or in the Southern Hemisphere, when it's Valentine's Day, the love quotient will most assumingly be high all over ! Around the world, Valentine's Day is celebrated with a lot of merrymaking and good cheer. However the Valentine's Day customs and traditions vary in different parts of the world and it's really interesting to see how Valentine's Day is celebrated around the world and with what variations.

In America, the custom of giving gifts and cards on Valentine's Day is very popular. From children to adults, siblings to lovers, everyone exchanges gifts and wishes of love on Valentine's Day. Apart from gifts, it is even common to have Valentine's Day parties. These parties generally see a lot of dancing and singing. Romantic dinners, picnics and get-togethers are also common on Valentine's Day in the United States of America.

In England, special Valentine's Day songs are sung by kids and they receive gifts of chocolates, fruits or sometimes even cash gifts. In some parts of England, folks make buns with dry fruits like raisins on Valentine's Day. It is also a popular custom in England to write love poems. These poems are written to honor the patron of love, St. Valentine. Tabloids and magazines overflow with love verses on Valentine's Day in England.

Italians have a custom of getting engaged on Valentine's Day. Some women in Italy also believe that the first man they see on Valentine's Day will be their future husband and so they stand near the window on Valentine's Day morning to see their life-partner walk past in all glory. These apart, on Valentine's Day, shops in Italy sell candies in china jars, tied with red ribbons. These make for favorite Valentine's Day gifts on February 14.

In Denmark, gaekkebrevs (joking letters) are sent out on Valentine's Day in which the senders write light poems and sign their names only in dots. The person receiving the gaekkebrev has to guess who sent it and if it is guessed correctly, then he or she will get an Easter egg from the sender on Easter.

Like the Americans, people in Germany and Austria and also give out Valentine's Day gifts, flowers, cards and chocolates to their wives on Valentine's Day. However in Spain, the tradition is a little different and here, the wives give the presents to their husbands and the husbands give flowers to their wives.

In Scotland, there is a festival on Valentine's Day where young men and women write their names on pieces of paper and put them into separate hats, one for men and one for women. Names are drawn out by both parties, but the men, irrespective of the names they have drawn, have to dance with the women who pick them. And a world of dancing and merrymaking follow.

In Australia, the Valentine's Day celebrations resemble those of America. Gifts and flowers are given out to loved ones. It is a heavily publicized event and the shopping malls are decorated and attract a lot of visitors on this day. However, it is not too much of a festival in Australia.

In Japan, there is a unique tradition. Women buy a particular type of candy called hon-mei and gift it to the person they are romantically attached to. It can be a crush, boyfriend, fianc? or husband. Then after one month, on March 14 (also known as White Day), the men return the favor by sending candies to all the women who remembered them on Valentine's Day. The candies sent out by the men are generally white because of the name of the day.

In Brazil, there is no such thing as Valentine's Day. However, something like Valentine's Day, Dia dos Namorados is celebrated on June 12. On this day lovers gift each other candies, flowers, cards and other love presents.

The Chinese celebrate Valentine's Day on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. Contrary to the Western custom of giving gifts to the beloved, the young girls make artistic items and offer them to Zhi Nu, the weaving maiden, in prayer for better needlework skills and also for loving husbands.

The language of love is universal and no matter where in the world you are in, Valentine's Day is celebrated all around with equal joy and affection. So wherever you are in the world, make sure you're near to your world of joy, your beloved and celebrate hand in hand to bring a world of happiness to him/ her.

About the Author

Sean Carter writes on holidays, Valentine's Day and world events. He is a writer with special interest in ecard industry and writes for 123greetings.com. He is an
active blogger at Valentines Day Blog.

Chinese snuff bottles sensations in glass!

2008-12-17T18:30:00.001-08:00

The first bottles we decided to buy that were not carved out of stone were made of glass. A huge range of glass bottles is to be found in all shapes and colours as well as a variety of manufacturing techniques.

Much more research is needed in order to date these bottles, but it is generally now agreed that glass and metal bottles were the earliest materials to be used. The problem is that glass has been used throughout the whole snuff bottle period right up to the present day.

The Chinese had little use for glass prior to the 17th century mainly because of their highly refined porcelain skills. They had no glass windows, favouring translucent paper. We are not sure if glass had been used centuries earlier in China but it was certainly introduced to them by Europeans in good time for snuff bottles.

Cameo glass
They considered it as a valuable material and excelled in producing very fine works of art. Sometimes they treated it just like a stone and carved bottles out of a solid piece, otherwise they blew glass into moulds. Creating many unusual bottles ranging from transparent to white as backgrounds for colour overlay work. They were also able to control bubbles and by the addition of white flecks in the glass, colours such as these apt names suggest were created: - Sodden Snow, Camphor, and Snowflakes.

These bottles would then be dipped into bright coloured molten glass which later would be carved away to leave a cameo style of design. Some were dipped more than once to provide more than one coloured layer. Another technique was to apply to different areas of the bottle coloured molten blobs of glass. When these were carved the bottle could have up to as many as eight different colours cameo carved without increasing the number of layers.

Quality counts
To a connoisseur, the number of colours or layers is not so very important, as it was not such a difficult process and a far softer material to carve than stone. What really should be valued is the quality of the carving and the overall design. Quite often a wonderfully carved and well-designed single colour overlay will be worth far more than a multicolour but poorly finished bottle.

To assess these bottles the colour is a consideration but great attention is paid just as with stone cameo carving, to the quality of the carving and especially to how well the background is finished close to the edge of the overlay. I have selected a ruby red single overlay as a good example to photograph. It shows a coiled `Chih Lung' or dragon on both sides; also having mythological animal mask and mock ring handles on each shoulder 1750 - 1860. The dragon is a birth sign used rather like our zodiac signs. (See the photograph by clicking on the link at the end of this article).

There is a group of rather special, very finely worked overlay bottles known as the `Seal School' because they always include a seal with the design. They were made later and date back from the second half of the 19th century.

Although these were made in the same way, the overlay is far more delicately carved and often even the thickness of the overlay is controlled to create shading. They normally used opaque white bottles as the background but some were also worked on other opaque colours. So far, I have never seen any on the clear or snowflake backgrounds. The photograph* shows a fine seal school bottle depicting a pair of cats at play with hovering insects amongst the flowers. On each side there is a bowl of fruit on a table and on the reverse is another scene of a drunken poet asleep in a garden. (*See the photograph by clicking on the link at the end of this article).

Layers of glass
Apart from these overlay types there are many interesting mottled, swirling and colourful designs as well as the plain colour bottles, both uncarved and carved.

Many of these were quite complex in the way they were made: some were blown into moulds then finished by hand; others involved blowing a clear glass into a mould but then another layer was blown inside the first bottle. This layer was a thin colourful one, sandwiched by yet a third clear layer that was also blown in. When looking down at the neck of one of these bottles you can clearly see these three layers.

A variety of colours were successfully used, together with gold in the creation of snuff bottles. There is no doubt that their advanced knowledge acquired in firing porcelain, and how metallic oxides react, was put to good use in glass.

It has also been suggested that apart from mixing in metals, even small particles of precious gemstones such as Sapphires, Emeralds and Rubies were added to the molten glass.

Particular attention was given to the feel of the finished material, which was achieved by the type of polishing and even the weight was controlled by the addition of lead. With transparent bottles the inside could be controlled and made to appear crazed as these names suggest - Cracked Ice, Fish Net or Sea Spray.

Most of the really fine snuff bottles were made in the Imperial Workshop and other small glass works around Peking.

Stone imitations
With such expertise the Chinese were able to make astounding imitations of other materials. There are many bottles that look and feel just like Jade, Aquamarine, Agate and other stones. There has been a view in the past that the Chinese made these as fakes with the intention to deceive. I am sure that this was not the case, as it was far too easy to find them out by careful inspection. Under magnification little holes on the surface that could not be polished out and tiny bubbles would be seen proving it must be glass. Lastly, glass unlike the stones can be scratched quite easily by steel.

The Chinese enjoyed making convincing imitations of highly valued minerals as a demonstration of their skill. One other mineral cleverly copied was Realgar with its bright red and yellow swirling colours, impossible to use because of a high arsenic content, so these copies would have caused a lot of intrigue.

Imperial yellow
I have already mentioned that a wide range of colours was used for glass bottles. Such colours as sapphire blue and ruby red seem to have been the most popular of the earliest ones. However the Emperor Chien-Lung had a favourite colour that he decreed could only be used by the Imperial family and this was an opaque shade of yellow that is now referred to as `Imperial Yellow'.

Not all bottles of this colour really are Imperial as after his death this colour was available to all. A true `Imperial Yellow' bottle must be one from his period and that can only be confirmed by the quality of the bottle and the carving. The `Imperial Yellow' bottle pictured is well carved with an archaic design on both sides and is of the period 1736 - 1795. (See the photograph by clicking on the link at the end of this article).

Painted on the inside
There remains one other area of glass bottles that really amazes everyone, these being the `Inside painted' bottles. I have only a couple of examples in the collection, as I do not generally favour them as in my view they were never made for use. Once snuff was put into them the picture would not show up well, and the spoon would soon ruin the painting.

I should also explain that they did not restrict inside painting to glass but have applied the same techniques to Crystal and Chalcedony. The vast majority however are in specially designed glass bottles of a uniform shape.

What is remarkable is that through such a tiny hole in the neck they could paint on the inside landscapes, animals, calligraphy and even portraits. In order for the image to show through the glass the painting had to be done in reverse, all such fine details as the eyelashes for example, had to be painted first! All of these bottles are signed by the artist and many, some very attractive ones too, are still being made today.

For our own collection I felt that we should have one or two examples and I was lucky enough to buy the earliest known, dated and signed inside painted bottle by Kan Huan-Wen. He is one of the first well-known artist and highly respected. He has painted inside a rock crystal bottle, a scene of Buddhist Lions with a poem on the reverse. This bottle is signed and dated 1822. (See the photograph by clicking on the link at the end of this article).

Later we acquired another rock crystal example, and these two are the only inside painted bottles that we have. I think that this one is quite remarkable, as the interior space is so limited, it is hard to imagine how such a beautiful painting was achieved on one surface without completely ruining the other.

It originally would have been a rather poorly made double bottle. I do not know if the damaged half that has been removed was done so before it was painted, but I believe that it would have been. This was a very badly hollowed out bottle, of little value, before it was painted.

To my mind it is the fact that it was so poorly hollowed that makes the painting even more amazing! Have a look at the photograph. A continuous scene of fish amongst aquatic plants was painted in red, gold, pink; white, green and grisaille dated 1896 and signed Chu Chan-Yuan. This crystal has a natural flaw in the stone that adds to the under water appeal of this picture. (See the photograph by clicking on the link at the end of this article).

Most of the glass bottles purposely made for inside painting are much larger than this crystal one. Some of the paintings achieved however are hard to believe possible. There are even portraits that are so well done that they just look as good as black and white photographs!

See the photographs relating to this article by using the following link: - http://www.jncohen.net/antiques/articles.htm

http://www.jncohen.net/ChineseSnuffbottles/index.htm
About the Author

The author has been a very keen collector for many years in helping to create 'The Cohen collection'.

Dealing with Shady Sites!

2008-12-11T22:25:00.000-08:00

Lawn Grass Options

Having a quality lawn in the shade can be a challenge. Lawns in shade areas are typically thin, weak, and of poor quality. In addition, lawns in shade areas generally do not have the ability to tolerate or recover from stress as compared to lawns growing in full sun. Start improving shade areas for grass growth by pruning trees and large shrubs as much as feasible to allow the maximum amount of light to reach the soil surface.

Significant shade such as this makes growing a quality lawn difficult.

Red fescue or other fine fescues are the primary lawn species in shade lawn mixtures. Among the more commonly used cultivars of the fine fescues are Jamestown, Banner, Barfalla, Checker, Highlight, Koket, Shadow (all chewings fescues); Dawson, Ensylva, Fortress, Pennlawn, and Ruby (creeping red fescues); and Aurora, Biljart(C-26), Reliant, Scaldis, and Waldina (hard fescues). Perennial ryegrass and tall fescue offer intermediate shade tolerance. Perennial ryegrass cultivars for shade include Birdie II, Citation II, Fiesta II, Manhatten II, Palmer,and Regal. Tall fescues best for shade include Falcon, Finelawn, Houndog, Jaguar, Olympic, Rebel,and Rebel II.Kentucky bluegrass generally does poor in the shade, but some shade tolerant cultivars include Bensun, Bristol, Eclipse, Glade, Nugget, Touchdown,and Victa.

After establishment, care of established lawns in shade areas is different than lawns located in full sun. Mow higher (near 3 inches), and fertilize less in the shade, as too much nitrogen can be detrimental to shade lawn species. About one to two pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season is all that is needed. When watering shade lawns, do so as infrequently as possible, and water deeply. Reduce traffic over lawns in the shade.

If these practices have been followed but the lawn still fails, there probably is not enough light, even for a shade tolerant grass species. Shade tolerant grasses still need an acceptable amount of light to grow. Lawns in the shade often have problems with moss (discussion follows) or shade-loving broadleaf weeds (see Lesson 6-Weed Problems in Lawns). Ground ivy, or creeping charlie, is a prime example. These problems exist primarily because the lawn grasses are thin and weak, allowing easy invasion. Follow the steps outlined above to help avoid these problems. Another option is to try a shade tolerant groundcover, as discussed below.

Groundcover Options

There are a variety of groundcovers available for shade areas. Shade groundcovers may offer an alternative to turfgrasses in shade areas, but are not foolproof. Poor soil drainage can cause problems for several species. Some maintenance is also needed to keep the planting looking good. The following list outlines some of the better groundcover choices for shade areas. Common names are provided, followed by Latin names.

.Goutweed
Aegopodium podagraria 'Variegatum'
Persistent, weedy groundcover that spreads via underground rhizomes. Tolerates many soil conditions, deep shade to full-sun, although foliage may scorch in full-sun. Best to plant in contained areas to avoid becoming evasive; cultivar 'Variegatum' more desirable. Buglewood

.Buglewood
Ajuga reptans
Low-growing, attractive foliage, spreads via above ground stolons. Prefers moist, well-drained soils in heavy shade to full-sun; protect from winter winds. Cultivars vary in both flower and foliage color.

.Canada Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Forms foliage mass up to six inches tall, spreads rapidly via rhizomes. Excellent deciduous groundcover for partial to deep shade.

.Lily-of-the-Valley
Convallaria majalis
Forms thick carpet of upright leaves, spreads rapidly via rhizomes, very adaptable but does best in well-drained soils, partial to full shade. May crowd out delicate plants. Large quantities of roots and rhizomes are poisonous. Fragrant flowers are popular.

.Purpleleaf Wintercreeper Euonymus
Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata'
Trailing habit and roots readily into soil as it creeps along. Heavy shade to full-sun, prefers well-drained soils. Protect from winter winds. Scale can be a problem.

.Sweet Woodruff
Galium odoratum
Delicate deciduous groundcover that forms uniform mat of bright green, persistent foliage. Small, white flowers. Prefers moist, well-drained soils in medium to deep shade.

.Hosta, Plantain Lily
Hosta species
Large group of hardy, dependable plants with bold, decorative foliage forming neat, circular clumps. Plants spread slowly via short rhizomes. Adaptable, best in open shade. Some have showy, lily-like flowers. Leaf burn problems in sun. Slugs also are a common problem.

.Japanese Spurge
Pachysandra terminalis
Neat, uniform, evergreen groundcover that spreads via rhizomes to form dense mat. Best in shade, well-drained soils. Protect from winter winds; may have pest or disease problems if stressed.

.Common Periwinkle
Vinca minor
Trailing, vinelike evergreen groundcover that roots as it creeps along. Grows in fairly heavy shade to full-sun; although foliage tends to be deeper green and glossier in the shade. Protect from winter wind and sun. Disease problems occur with poor soil drainage and poor air movement.

.Barren Strawberry
Waldsteinia ternata
Forms mats of strawberry-like evergreen foliage with glossy, bright green leaves and yellow flowers. Easy to care for, plant in partial shade to full-sun.

.Woodland Natives
(various species)
A wide variety of woodland plants, such as ferns, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and trilliums may also be used in areas where turf will not grow or is not desired. Consult with native plant specialists & nurseries.

Terry Blackburn, Author of Your Perfect Lawn, a 90 page eBook devoted to Lawn Preparation, Care and Maintenance. Find it at http://www.lawnsurgeon.com

Hardy Plants

2008-12-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Blackhaw Viburnum (V. prunifolium)
The rounded, stiffly branched habit of Blackhaw viburnum reminds you of a Hawthorn without the thorns. Other common names are Sloe, sloe-leaved viburnum, stagbush, shonny. It can be grown as a small tree because plants attain a height of 12 to 14 feet. I like it best as a multi-stem shrub. The dark green, glossy, leathery leaves turn a dark reddish to purple in the fall. Creamy white flowers are borne in flat-topped flower clusters during May. The fruit turns blue-black at maturity. The fruit, which is sweet and edible though rarely used, is nearly half an inch long, bluish black, covered with a bloom, and ripens in early autumn. It contains a small and somewhat flattened stone. The mature fruit make good preserves. The leaves are small enough that they don't pose a raking and cleaning problem. Birds frequent this shrub for feed and shelter. Plants are native and tolerate shade but flower and fruit best in full sun.
Habitat and range: The blackhaw occurs in dry woods and thickets and on rocky hillsides from Connecticut to Florida and west to Michigan and Texas, but is mostly found in the South. On our plant durability list, we rate this a 9 for ease of transplanting and site adaptability. There are also few serious pests that homeowners need to concern themselves with. We have seedling, transplants, and B&B plant to 4'. I prefer transplanting a 3-4' plant.

In general, we feel that viburnums are attractive, versatile, adaptable shrubs for any garden. They can serve as hedges or screens and in mixed perennial and shrub borders. We like them most as specimen plants. They are usually in the form of shrubs, but can become small ornamental trees(sieboldi). They range in size from the small Dwarf American Cranberry at 2 feet tall by 2 feet wide, to the Siebold at over 15 feet tall.

Viburnums are plants with year round interest. Viburnums have white to pink flowers in the spring. Some are fragrant. They have large, attractive and often textured leaves. Some viburnums have fragrant flowers that are produced in snowball like clusters in the spring. The flower clusters can be of pink buds, which develop into white flowers. Some fruits are red and turn black with age while others are orange and some blue. Leaves are glossy, dark green and turn a burgundy color in the fall. Midsummer berries that ripen in winter are an important food source for birds. Viburnums are a must for the avid birder. Viburnums can have colorful red to purple leaves. Some viburnums can become medium-size trees, especially if they are pruned. Viburnums are specimen plants or can be anchors in mixed borders and hedges and screens. You won't find a better group of shrubs for hedges or for massing in groups, since viburnums are delightful in every season and landscape. Some viburnums, such as the Prague viburnum, are evergreen and have fragrant flowers. Others, such as the leatherleaf viburnum, are semi-evergreen in colder climates, losing their leaves when temperatures dip below 10 degrees.

We like Viburnums because of their adaptability and durability. While they would prefer full sun and moderately watered, well-drained rich soils, they grow very well in part shade, in alkaline,and clay soils. Diseases and pests are not common for viburnums. We have more trouble from my kids running over them with brush hogs. They claim they were testing their durability. Yet all the viburnums they chopped to the ground survived. In fact, we sold these plants for a premium as they produced better numbers of desirable stems. Their fibrous root system makes them transplant and propagate easily. (We do have more difficulty with the Korean Spice rooted cuttings.)

If you are shopping for a sharp, hardy shrub consider one of the many cultivars of the Viburnum family. In fact, select a couple of them. You will be rewarded with shrubs with all season interest.

Viburnums are popular garden plants, known for their white, often fragrant spring flowers and their fall color. The Asian viburnums such as the Carlesi are the most loved. Perhaps the most known viburnums are the Burkwood viburnum (Viburnum x burkwoodii), and the Korean spice viburnum (V. carlesii), both of which fill the air with a wonderful fragrance in mid-spring. (The Mohican is a cross of the two.) Also popular is the doublefile viburnum (V. plicatum f. tomentosum), valued for its layered habit, fall foliage, and clusters of red fruits, and its a close relative the Shasta, a gold medal winner. We have most of these viburnums at our 5275 W. Swamp Rd. nursery in Fountainville Pa. ready for customer pickup. Viburnum acerifolium (Maple-leafed viburnum) Although I wouldn't garden without any of these, I like the native viburnums. They may not provide the flower fragrance of their Asian counterparts, but I love them for their fall foliage color and for their fruit displays, which attract birds to my garden in the fall and winter months. In addition, several are useful to waterwise gardeners or in urban conditions. They require only corrective pruning, and none commonly suffer from pests or diseases. These native viburnums are hardy and durable. Once you establish them they will not require a lot of attention and give years of enjoyment.

Viburnums are considered moist woodland plants. In nature they are found along steam banks from Long Island to Florida. When you come to our 5275 West Swamp Rd. location ask us to show you some in their native habitat that we found along our stream bank. These plants perform well under normal landscape conditions. I especially like the floral display in the spring and these viburnums that bear fruit in the fall. Winterthur has great red leaves and abundant fruit in the fall. This cultivar needs a cross pollinator such as viburnum nudum.

Native Americans used Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum) for arrow shafts. The stems are long and strait. This plant will grow in places many plants struggle. So if you have had trouble with plants in a harsh location try this cultivar.
About the Author

Engaged Buddhism

2008-11-26T02:24:00.001-08:00

The Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh who left Vietnam in the 60's to live in the west is now one of best known Buddhist figures in the West, thanks to his interactions with various Buddhist and non Buddhist figures and thanks to his hundreds of lectures and writings.

The BBC calls him a world renowned Zen master, writer, poet, scholar, and peacemaker. With the exception of the Dalai Lama, he is today's best known Buddhist teacher.

His writings are clear and concise, these include Call me by my true names, The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation, The Five Pillars of Wisdom, Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers,Interbeing:Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism.

The first is a collection of texts and poems, the last is the book which elaborates Engaged Buddhism, a term he had introduced. Some say that his writings have made Buddhism more palatable for the West, just like Chinese food which have been adjusted for the Western taste. The Five Pillars, for example is the five precepts or Pancasila, but Thich Nhat Hanh uses positive statements, instead of saying Thou shall not kill, he said Respect for life, and Generosity instead of Thou shall not steal.

I do not think that his main contribution is to make the Dhamma palatable, he is a great communicator, and one of the Buddhist doctrines he always holds true, is dependent origination or dependent co-arising, which means interdependence and inter-penetration of everything. Interbeing is a subset of dependent origination.

In an entity A there exists entities non-A, A exists because of non-A. Think A as the human body, and non-A as all the molecules in us. The sun, the rivers, the clouds and the flowers are in us, and we in them.

The good, the bad and the ugly are also within us, and we inside them.

On Nov 3, the Guardian carried an article showing how George Bush is considered dangerous by America's allies in Britain, Canada, Mexico, and even Israel. He is considered more dangerous than Kim Jong-Il, and only Osama bin Laden is able to outrank Bush.

What Thich Nhat Hanh is saying is that Bush, Osama are all part of ourselves. If you can't stomach this, you will have a hard time understanding interbeing, however, if you can, then you will never really hate, be angry at someone or envy anybody anymore.

In the same manner, you understand that, in a Buddhist, there is Christianity, Islam, Hindu etc. Everything is interconnected with everything. That's why Thich Nhat Hanh is able to bridge a rapport with leaders of different religions.

You are me, and I am you. Isn't it obvious that we inter-are? You cultivate the flower in yourself, so that I will be beautiful. I transform the garbage in myself, so that you will not have to suffer.

I support you; you support me. I am in this world to offer you peace; you are in this world to bring me joy

Thich Nhat Hanh Engaged Buddhism is a corollary of dependent origination, by making a commitment against social, economic and political injustice through peaceful means.

To get a quick summary of Engaged Buddhism, read the 14 quidelines formulated by Thich Nhat Hanh in the book Interbeing:

Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.

Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to receive others' viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.

Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrow-mindedness.

Do not avoid suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering, including personal contact, visits, images and sounds. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.

Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of your life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need.

Do not maintain anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate and transform them when they are still seeds in your consciousness. As soon as they arise, turn your attention to your breath in order to see and understand the nature of your hatred.

Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Practice mindful breathing to come back to what is happening in the present moment. Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing, and healing both inside and around you. Plant seeds of joy, peace, and understanding in yourself in order to facilitate the work of transformation in the depths of your consciousness.

Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.

Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things of which you are not sure. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.

Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or transform your community into a political party. A religious community, however, should take a clear stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.

Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realise your ideal of compassion.

Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and prevent war.

Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.

Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only an instrument. Preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realisation of the Way. (For brothers and sisters who are not monks and nuns:) Sexual expression should not take place without love and commitment. In sexual relations, be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings.

The first and second guidelines clearly shows that Buddhism is agnostic, but open to scientific discoveries. Should science one day prove that there is a beginning of time, Buddhism would embrace it, unlike Stephen Jay Gould who maintains that science and religions are entirely separate domains.

There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way Thich Nhat Hanh

Personal Blog: http://10outof10.blogspot.com

Roofing Materials

2008-11-24T01:32:00.001-08:00

Do you have rolls or partial rolls of barbed wire or woven wire? Fence supplies, electric chargers, fencing tools, gate, posts.... We can trade. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/TradesWanted.html

In England, Buckinghamshire was, and still is, a county just northwest of London that forms an irregular rectangle running from the southeast at the edge of London, northwesterly. BUCKinghamShire, was shortened to Bucks in conversation. So William Penn named his land's similarly sized, irregular rectangle county, which ran northwesterly from Philadelphia's edge, Bucks county. Of course when you come to our farm be prepared to visit our county and experience its diverse culture and history.

This is an arborvita that should outlive even your grandchildren. There are Green Giants out west documented to be over 300 years old. Just don't plant these too close to the ocean, or roads in areas where there's a lot of salt used for snow removal. If you get over 100 inches of snowfall and more per year, no roadside Arborvita planting where salt is used, PLEASE. The greatest soldier of ancient Greece in the Trojan war had his one little weak spot, what proved to be a fatal flaw, and the Achilles Heel for Green Giant Arborvitae is hypersensitivity to salt. If you plants this Arborvitas just keep away from the splash of road salt and it will make a great living fence.

So when are you coming to visit us in Bucks County?

Names Of Spring Flowers

2008-10-19T01:24:00.000-07:00

Spring indicates a season of new beginnings and delights after a long winter. It is an ideal time for weddings and nature trips, as numerous flowers are found everywhere throughout the season. For students and researchers, spring is the best time to study the exciting names and varieties of spring flowers. The names of spring flowers are as appealing and intoxicating as the fragrance of some of them. The flowers are found in varied colors, sizes, and shapes. Spring flowers make beautiful decorations, striking centerpieces, and enhance the romantic feeling of weddings. Spring flowers add color to the landscape. Daffodils, Oxeye Daisies, Dianthuses and Thymes list among the most popular names of spring flowers.Daffodils are wonderful flowers that herald the beginning of spring. Daffodils, in their yellow glory, complement other flower combinations and are well suited for decorations.Oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) and Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are drought resistant, dependable, beautiful, and simple flowers that bloom in spring.Other names of spring flowers that stand out prominently are Dianthuses, which come in a wide range of pretty colors and Pink Evening Primroses, with the scientific name Oenothera speciosa. Pink Evening Primroses usually bloom in early spring and look attractive in lawns. Rose mallows (Lavatera trimestris) have large petals resembling dinner plates.

Coral honeysuckles grow tall and have tubular flowers.Thymes spread quickly and have dainty evergreen leaves, which exude fragrance as one walks among the weeds. Most of the varieties are only a few inches tall. Columbine are perennials that live for a short period and produce a large number of seeds. Candytufts (Iberis umbellataare) are small perennials with numerous attractive flowers.Other popular names of spring flowers are azaleas, irises, shamrocks, hyacinths, snowflakes, violets, and cornflowers. By Marcus Peterson

In the Name of a Flower

2008-10-16T01:24:00.000-07:00

At a time when I hurtIn a most desperate hourYou came to meIn the name of a flowerYou reached out your handWith only to giveA devastated heartA reason to liveI cherished the timeWith each passing dayTo receive your loveTo hear what you'd sayBut as time when onAnd we drifted apartI've remembered your wordsAnd mended my heartFrom time to timeI remember your nameWith a smile on my faceI'm thankful you cameI've never returnedTo that dreadful hourHaving been blessed by an angelIn the name of a flower

By Gobbledygook

Flower Baby Names

2008-10-13T01:21:00.000-07:00

Flowers beautify the garden, house, and room. The male gives flowers to female to gain affection from her. As we like to beautify our environment, we also like to beautify our baby. So, we sometimes name the baby with name of the flowers. Flower means blooms or blossoms. The main function is to reproduce. The pollens in the flowers spread to produce more flowers. In trees, the fruit starts as flowers. After the flowers fertilize, the flowers turns into a fruit. In the fruit, you will see seeds for the next generation of trees. Humans have used flowers for hundreds of years. The flowers have been in our culture like wedding ceremony, Christenings ceremony, home decoration, funeral flowers, and gift giving. The wedding flowers intensify the beauty of the wedding dresses with flowers in corsages, boutonnieres, hairclips, and bouquet. The flower baby names are coming back in popularity. For example, Rose, Blossom, Dahlia, Rosemary, Daisy, Flora, Heather, Hyacinth, Iris, Ivy, Jasmine, Lily, Rhoda, and Violet have risen in popularity. Rose is a German baby name which means fame. Although Rose is usually associated with Rosa, Rose is actually from German origin.
Rosa is from a Latin word. The variants of Rose are Rosemary, Rosalind, Rosanne, and Rosario. Blossom is an English baby name which means fresh. The baby name was popular in the 20th century. Dahlia is the national flower of Mexico. Anders Dahl from Sweden brought the flower to Mexico. The flower has bold and vibrant colors. Daisy is another English baby name which means eye of the day. The florist uses the daisies to brighten the wedding. The daisy has a yellow center with white petals all around. Like the Lily, the flower gives classic beauty and romance to the baby names. Often, the florists like to use Calla Lilies and Casa Blanca Lilies in an enchanting wedding. Lily is an English baby name which is a symbol of innocence, purity, and beauty. Rhoda is one of the biblical baby names. In the holy bible, Rhoda serves the Christ disciples. In Greek, Rhoda means rose. By Dennis Estrada

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