O.xide Design » Why?

The Secret to Rose Water

Arveen — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:00:14 +0000

Rose Water

Egyptians have a secret and its rose water. Rose water is used to make the skin soft and beautiful. The rose flower has antiseptic properties that help the skin reduce wrinkles and fine lines. This recipe has been used for many years and is highly recommended for beautiful skin!

How to make rose water

Gather your roses. If possible, harvest pesticide-free roses from your own garden; however, if you must buy roses from your local florist, rinse the petals in cool water to remove any chemicals.
Pluck enough petals to firmly pack 1 cup. Place the roses in a heat-resistant glass bowl.
Boil 2 cups of spring water and pour the hot water over the rose petals. Cover the bowl with a lid or plate and allow the rose petals to steep for 30 minutes.
Cover a wide-mouthed jar with a piece of cheesecloth and pour the rosewater into the jar. Discard the rose petals.

Credits:
How to Make Rosewater

Design Sponge

Joyeuse St-Patrick!

Genevieve — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:00:37 +0000

Un petit montage vert en l’honneur de la Saint-Patrick!

La fête de Saint-Patrick est célébrée par les Irlandais du monde entier, expatriés ou descendants des nombreux émigrants, et sa popularité s’étend aujourd’hui vers les non-Irlandais qui participent aux festivités et se réclament « Irlandais pour un jour ».
Les célébrations font généralement appel à la couleur verte et à tout ce qui appartient à la culture irlandaise : la fête de Saint-Patrick telle que pratiquée aujourd’hui voit les participants, qu’ils soient chrétiens ou pas, porter au moins un vêtement avec du vert, assister à des « parades », consommer des plats et des boissons irlandaises, en particulier des boissons alcoolisées (bières et stout irlandais, comme la Murphys, Smithwicks, Harp ou Guinness, ou des whiskeys, des cidres irlandais, des Irish coffee). Fait intéressant: À Chicago, le jour de la fête de la Saint-Patrick, la rivière Chicago est teinte en vert!

Levons notre verre!

source: wikipedia

Un petit montage vert en l’honneur de la Saint-Patrick!

Yummy!! Tasty Flowers

Arveen — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:00:02 +0000

Edible flowers

Have you tasted flower?
Flowers are not only used for the purpose of decor and gifts, they are used in recipes!

Edible flowers are considered to be a gourmet delight!
They can be used in cold salads, beverages, soups, desserts and hot meals. Fresh edible flowers are found during the spring and summer, they are extremely tasty bought from organic farms or gardeners who raise flower for the use of food.

Here is a list of edible flowers:

borage,
carnations,
lavender,
roses,
violets,
pansies,
gladiolas

that are easy to find and cook with. So next time when you have guests over add a pretty flower to their meal! They are delicious!

Share with us your favorite flower recipe!

Edible Flowers

Credits:

www.flowerslovers.blogsome.com
www.dev.ealerter.com
www.onceuponaplate.blogspot.com
www.bitterbutton.com
www.theflowerexpert.com

Why The Red Rose for Valentine ?

Stephanie — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:00:28 +0000

Why Red Roses For Valentine?

On Valentine’s Day, what else to talk about in the flower world than red roses! The flower of love! Here is a little history:

Evidence suggests that the red rose is nearly 35 million years old. The most commonly available roses belong to two broad categories:

the Oriental species and their hybrids,
the European or Mediterranean species and their hybrids.

It is possible to grow a red rose anywhere in the world, if the species to which it belongs is selected according to climatic conditions.

Not surprisingly, therefore, ancient civilizations such as those of the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans seemed to have given the red rose a place of pride.
Rose fossils have been found near ancient Egyptian tombs. Greek mythology is replete with references to the red rose being sacred to Bacchus, the Greek god of wine, and Venus, the Greek goddess of love. Cupid, of course, is inextricably linked to the red rose.

The Romans seem to have been rather preoccupied with the red rose. Their preoccupation was not just the result of their appreciation for its beauty and fragrance. They had discovered the medicinal properties of the red rose, and also found ways of capturing its fragrance in perfumes. In fact, there is evidence which suggests that they experimented with cultivation techniques and found ways to make red roses blossom beyond their natural peripheries.

The beauty of the red rose has always driven rose lovers to find ways and means of collecting them, displaying them and growing them. French Empress Josephine, particularly after her divorce with Emperor Napoleon, took to roses and dedicated a large space and resources to the cultivation and hybridization of roses. The palace of Malmaison became home to rose gardens with old and new species. Among these, the red rose received plenty of attention.

The red rose also has an interesting place in the history of England. Opposing factions in York and Lancaster fought for control over England in the 15th century. York was synonymous with the white rose and Lancaster with the red rose. In fact, the friction between these warring factions led to the coining of the term ‘War of the Roses’. Lancaster emerged victorious, but this victory did not spell defeat for York. Tudor Henry VII and his bride from York facilitated the symbolic union of red rose and the white rose, and gave England ‘the Rose of England’.

Whether it’s red roses in England, or in any other part of the world, botanists credit China with the ‘ever-blooming’ variety. In the late 18th century, botanists succeeded in bringing these to Europe, and then the rest of the world. Today, including hybrids, there are over 150 species of roses. Several of these are red. There are different shades of red roses available today, and they are of different sizes.

Much love to our readers, happy Valentine’s Day!

Article source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Red-Rose-History&id=144236

Carnations : Flower of the month of January

Stephanie — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:00:20 +0000

Carnation Flower Balls

We don’t use carnations very often, however as you can see on these pictures, arranged as balls they look awesome! Here are a few fun and interesting facts about this birth flower of January.

The Carnation, whose botanic name is Dianthus caryophyllus, is really a plant that originated in the Near East at least 2000 years ago. It was originally only found in the popular light pink color, however today it has been cultivated into many other colors including red, purple, green and yellow.

Because of their low cost, carnations are the flower given most often in a boutonniere or in a corsage for a teenager’s high school prom, homecoming or other dance. They are also given to mothers on Mother’s Day, this allows for the children to have big assortments without breaking their budget.

Each color of a Carnation has a different meaning.

Light red symbolizes admiration
Dark red symbolizes a deep love
White symbolizes both pure love and luck
Striped Carnations symbolize regret.
Purple Carnations are said to indicate capriciousness.
Green Carnations are used predominantly on St. Patrick’s Day.
Pink Carnations are said to be a symbol of a mother’s undying love, going back to biblical times when Carnations sprang up out of the ground where the Virgin Mary’s tears fell as Jesus was carrying the cross.

The scarlet Carnation is the state flower of Ohio, chosen to honor assassinated president William McKinley, who was normally seen wearing it.

\Fun and interesting fact: At Oxford University, it is customary to wear a Carnation to an exam. White Carnations are worn to the first exam, red to the last, and pink Carnations to every exam in between.

Carnation Flower Balls

How is Honey Made?

Stephanie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:07 +0000

Honey: a product of flowers!

This subject came to my mind this morning as I was pouring a spoonful of beautiful golden honey inside my lime, ginger and mint herbal tea. I was just amazed when I remembered that this wonderful substance came from our friends the flowers!

Honey is created by bees as a food source, in cold weather or when food sources are scarce, bees use their stored honey as their source of energy. People have been able to semi-domesticate the insects, and harvest their excess honey. In the hive you’ll find three types of bee: a single female queen bee, a seasonally variable number of male drone bees to fertilize new queens, and some 20,000 to 40,000 female worker bees. Leaving the hive, these worker bees collect sugar-rich flower nectar and then return. In the process, they release Nasonov pheromones, these pheromones lead other bees to rich nectar sites by “smell”. Honeybees also release Nasonov pheromones at the entrance to the hive, which enables returning bees to return to the proper hive.

In the hive, the bees use their “honey stomachs” to ingest and regurgitate the nectar a number of times until it is partially digested (Yuck!). The bees work together as a group with the regurgitation and digestion until the product reaches a desired quality. It is then stored in honeycomb cells. After the final regurgitation, the honeycomb is left unsealed. However, the nectar is still high in both water content and natural yeasts which, unchecked, would cause the sugars in the nectar to ferment. The process continues as bees inside the hive fan their wings, creating a strong draft across the honeycomb which enhances evaporation of much of the water from the nectar. This reduction in water content raises the sugar concentration and prevents fermentation. Ripe honey, as removed from the hive by a beekeeper, has a long shelf life and will not ferment if properly sealed.

I find this hole process quite incredible, nature never ceases to impress us, in the mean time I decided to randomly eat a spoonfull of honey! Cheers!

Why the Poppy on Veterans Day ?

Stephanie — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:58:02 +0000

The Poppy Flower symbol for Veterans Day

Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day or Veterans Day) is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on the 11th of November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918.

A writer first made the connection between the poppy and battlefield deaths during the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century, remarking that fields that were barren (infertile) before battle then exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended.

During the tremendous bombardments of the First World War the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble, allowing ‘popaver rhoeas’ (poppies) to thrive. When the war ended, the lime was quickly absorbed, and the poppy began to disappear again.

Thanks to the millions of Canadians who wear flowers each November, the little red poppy has never died. And neither have Canadian’s memories for 116,031 of their countrymen who died in battle.

Why Do Trees Change Color in Autumn?

Stephanie — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:50 +0000

In Autumn, Colors are just lovely!

At O.XIDE Design, fall is one of our biggest inspirations. But who doesn’t appreciate the wonderful colors of fall! Did you ever wonder how and why a leaf changes color in fall? Why a maple leaf turns bright red? Where do the yellows and oranges come from?

As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees “know” to begin getting ready for winter.

During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. The trees will rest, and live off the food they stored during the summer. The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves and as the bright green fades away, we begin to see yellow and orange colors. Small amounts of these colors have been in the leaves all along; we just can’t see them in the summer, because they are covered up by the green chlorophyll.

The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in the fall. In some trees, like maples, glucose is trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn cause the leaves turn this glucose into a red color.

Every fall, I find myself amazed at what nature can do. And every fall, I must take a walk on the mountain to savour this very short season.

Veterans Day: A day to remember

Stephanie — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:39 +0000

Veterans day symbole: the Poppy

Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day or Veterans Day) is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on the 11th of November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918.

A writer first made the connection between the poppy and battlefield deaths during the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century, remarking that fields that were barren (infertile) before battle then exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended.

During the tremendous bombardments of the First World War the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble, allowing ‘popaver rhoeas’ (poppies) to thrive. When the war ended, the lime was quickly absorbed, and the poppy began to disappear again.

Thanks to the millions of Canadians who wear flowers each November, the little red poppy has never died. And neither have Canadian’s memories for 116,031 of their countrymen who died in battle.