Plants With Secret Identities

Spring is the time to think about your garden . This year why not introduce a few plants that can help around the house . These specimens aren't just pretty faces . Each one can help keep your home safer or healthier .

Aloe :
Aloe Vera ---
A sun-loving evergreen with spiky yellow-orange  flowers .
Uses : The "jelly" in the  aloe leaves  can soothe  burns , itches  and dry skin .
Fun Fact :
The  charmer  Cleopatra  used  aloe in her  skin regimen .

Bamboo:
Bambuseae ---
A fast growing  grass  with a hollow woody stem .
Uses : This versatile  wonder  can be used as a privacy fence . Harvested  , the  wood  can be used for  construction or  ornamental  crafts .
Pro Tip :  The young  shoots  of the bamboo  plant  are the key  to many Chinese  dishes .

Lavender:
Lavandula angustifolia ---
An herbaceous  bush  with  fragrant purple  wands .
Uses :  Attracts  helpful  insects  , repels  rabbits , can be used in cooking . The smell of lavender is lovely  and is used  both as a cosmetic  scent  and a treatment  to reduce  stress .
Fun Fact : Queen Victoria  drank lavender  tea  to ease her headaches .

Lemongrass :
Cymbopogon nardus ---
A  graceful  ornamental  grass  with a pleasant  smell .
Uses :  Mosquito-repelling  citronella  oils  come from this plant  . It also  lends  a citronella  flavor when used as a spice .
Pro Tip : Rub the leaves  on your  clothing  to keep the bugs at  bay .

Spearmint :
Mentha spicata ---
A plucky , fragment  green herb  with spiky leaves .
Uses : Repels  mice  , and leaves  can settle some  stomachaches  . Oil  cultivated  from the plant  gives off a  pleasant  smell .
Po Tip --- Add bourbon , sugar  and water  for the traditional mint  julep .

Spider Plant :
Chlorophytum Comosum ---
A favorite and hardy houseplant   with cascading  runners .
Uses : Can help filter  out  carbon monoxide  , formaldehyde   and other  gases .
Fun Fact :  NASA  researched spider plants  to help filter  air on  the Space  Station .

Sunflower :
Helianthus Annus ---
A garden favorite  with a tall stem  and large  bright yellow  blooms .
Uses : The  flower makes for home décor  , and the seeds  can be roasted  and eaten .
Fun Fact : Plant sunflowers to help draw  away insects  from  delicate plants  nearby .

A little warm weather  here  and  my mind is  on gardening ,  stay tune   because there is more to  come  on canning  and freezing  when the  crops  come  in , oh  yeah    ;-D  .  Nee