Peace Lilies aka White Anthurium, Spathe Flowers   Plants that Detoxify the Air The Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) is a beautiful foliage plant that also produces attractive white spathes. This plant has a high transpiration rate and enjoys the large water reservoir that hydroculture offers. It possesses all the qualities to make it one of the best indoor plants. This plant can be kept best in mid-light to shade. Effective Remover of Air Pollutants: The Peace Lily excels in the removal of alcohols, acetone, trichloroethylene, benzene and formaldehyde. Its ability to remove air pollutants…

Areca Palms Plants that Detoxify the Air The Areca Palm is one of the most popular and graceful palms. It is tolerant of the indoor environment, releases copious amounts of moisture into the air. Additionally, the areca is consistently rated among the best houseplants for removing all indoor air toxins tested. The Areca Palm is a tree or shrub-like plant with graceful, long feather-shaped fronds. Planting / Care: Light: Palm trees will not do well in dimly lit corners. Without adequate light your plant will lose all its lower fronds. This plant is best kept in semi-sun. Watering: Keep…

Safe Flea Control Poisoning the fleas on your pet's body is a losing battle because most of the fleas are living in your pet's environment, rather than in its fur. Further, fleas proliferate at an alarming rate: a single flea can lay as many as 60 eggs per day. It's probably impossible to keep up with that rate of reproduction. With fleas living for about 90 days, that's a lot of eggs, and it means there is always a fresh wave of invaders to take the place of those that have been poisoned. Chemical repellents are equally ineffective, exposing your pet to toxic chemicals while only…

Organic Foods: Tips for Buying Organically The Health Benefits of Organic Foods Toxic build-up/exposure have been linked to serious diseases and developmental disorders Tips for buying organically ... Buying organic foods can be expensive, and some produce is less likely to be contaminated than others. In order to stay within budget, many of us may have to focus on eliminating (or buying organic) those foods with the highest amounts of pesticides, chemicals, additives, and hormones. Below are some more useful tips ... Purchase from your local farmer’s markets, not your supermarket.…

African Daisies Plants that Detoxify the Air African Daisie are amongst the most popular of flowers, and they are perfect for beginning gardeners as they are easy to grow and hardy. Planting & Care: If you start from seed, they will bloom the second and each following year. Soil: Daisies like rich, well-drained soil and full sunshine, but they will readily tolerate poorer soils and partial shade. Give them Space! You can also divide and separate them as planting gets too dense and thick. If you do not do this, the plants will begin to crowd each other out, competing for nutrients and…

Boston Fern   Plants that Detoxify the Air   The Boston fern is a very popular house plant, often grown in hanging baskets or similar conditions. The Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) is the most efficient plant at removing formaldehyde from the air (the most common indoor air pollutant) and for adding humidity to the indoor environment.     Although considered non-toxic, this plant can cause allergic reactions in some pets: Prolonged contact with lesions that were pruritic, with erythema, vesicles, scaling, and periungual swelling.   Description: It is grown strictly for its…

Grocery Bags: The Price We Pay For Convenience What motivated me to use reusable grocery bags instead of the plastic ones are the photos on this page and the data available to us with respect to the impact grocery bags have on our environment, wildlife and, ultimately, our own health ....   The Facts: Data released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency states that between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed each year. Relevant News Article: Facts and figures regarding the true cost of plastic bags A study in 1975 showed that vessels dumped 8 million…

Snake Plants aka Good-Luck Plants, Mother-in-law’s Tongues   Plants that Detoxify the Air   The Snake Plant (Sanseveria sp. /: Agavaceaeis) is an evergreen herbaceous perennial plant that is often used as an air filtering plant because it has a tendency to absorb certain airborne poisonous substances, as well as being natural humidifiers. Snake plants - together with broad sword ferns and rubber plants - are among the top ten air purifiers recommended by experts They are quite beautiful plants, and their looks are ever-changing because the patterns on the leaves change each time they…

Janet Craig Dracaena   Plants that Detoxify the Air   The Dracaena Janet Craig, Dracaena deremensis aka 'Janet Craig', is one of the most popular Draceanas used indoors, likely due to its ability to grow in low light and tolerate considerable dryness. The slow-growing, dark green, glossy leaves of the Dracaena Janet Craig make it a beautiful, showy houseplant. The Janet Craig is one of the best plants for removing TCE (trichloreoethylene) -- a solvent for fats, oils and waxes, a cleaning solvent used in dry cleaning operations and machinery maintenance as a degreaser.   Description…

Controlling Snails in Your Yard The Organic Way     The Importance of Snails: Land snails are an integral part of life. They consume organic material on the forest floor and recycle plant and animal waste. Amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small mammals also feed on land snails; so they form an important link in the food chain. Land snails are also important in that they provide windows into the overall health of the ecosystem. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has stated, "Land snails are a particularly practical group to assess the health of an ecosystem." Something to think about…

Forest gardens replicate woodland ecosystems that provide food, fuel, and medicine, support wildlife, and could boom in popularity as the climate changes. Toby Hemenway, a permaculture expert and the author of "Gaia's Garden" -- a highly rated book featured to the right - explains how gardens can function as ecosystems, describing the basic parts of an ecological garden (soil, water, plants, and animals), and shows how to create backyard ecosystems through guilds. Guilds are groups of plants that function as an ecosystem to provide produce for humans, create cover and food for wildlife,…

Simple Steps for Cutting Your Monthly Bills and Reducing Your Carbon Footprint   A combination of reducing your environmental impact, decreasing your dependence on outside resources, living healthier and saving money!   Other tips to conserve and save ... The Easiest Vegetables To Grow In Your Own Garden   Tips on Saving Money on Gas   Conserving Water   Make your own Cleaning Supplies Nobody expects you to implement all of the below measures in your home. Following only a few of those steps will save you money, and you can integrate more over time. Of…

Pothos, also known as Golden Pothos, Devil's Ivy or Variegated Philodendron   Plants that Detoxify the Air   The pothos are tough, adaptable plants. Their climbing/trailing habit makes them extremely decorative and useful in a variety of settings, and their variegated forms add a type of interest not available with true philodendron. Since pothos aren't very demanding, they set the standard for tolerance of neglect. This makes them one of the best plants for public places and those new to indoor gardening.   Pothos are incredibly versatile. They can be planted as: Single stand alone…

West Nile Virus   Index of Human Diseases / Health Conditions ... Bird Diseases ... Medicinal Foods, Herbs, Spices & Household Items   The West Nile Virus (WNV) is a disease transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquitoes. Outbreaks appear to coincide with rainy seasons and the proliferation of mosquitoes. Click here for information on controlling mosquitoes. Since it was first diagnosed in 1999 in New York City, the West Nile Virus has spread throughout most of the United States and into Canada and Mexico. Symptoms: In birds, the virus can cause acute death, clinical signs…

Lady Palms aka Broadleaf Lady Palm   Plants that Detoxify the Air   The Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) originated from Southern China. This graceful plant, with richly patterned leaves, can be found in homes and gardens throughout the world, as they adapt to a wide range of climates, soils, and environments. This is a slow-growing, extremely versatile, undemanding and long-lived plant. In fact, these are amongst the easiest palms to grow. It is also one of the best plants for improving indoor air quality. This large palm has fans 6 - 12 inch wide that consist of between four and ten thick,…