Flowers and Plants

Gerberas (Daisy's) rank high among the very colorful. There are a number of varieties from single pedaled to double pedaled. To the left (B-328) is a pink English Daisy. To the right a simple African Daisy. The images were taken with a Canon EOS 7e 28/90 mm using Kodak Royal Gold 200. Lens setting for both pictures is 90 mm and Canon AE, AV (f 5.6)

# B-328 African Gerbera

# B-329 Red Gerbera

Day Lilies named so because they fade after one day of full bloom. There are over 34000 varieties Day Lilies world wide most of them belong in the Hemerocallis family. Image B-302 is a Daylily Hall's Pink. The image to the right is a common yellow Stella d'Orro Daylily. Both pictures were taken on a sunny early morning while rain drops are still on the pedals. Canon 7e, Kodak Supra 100, 28/90 set to 90 mm Canon auto close-up setting for exposure and AE focus. Spreading Sunset or Golden Lantana is the name of this small but pretty little flower below. (B-307) Canon 7e, 90 MM Kodak Supra 100.

# B-307 Pink Daylily

# B-308 Yellow Daylily

.Another exquisite Daylily. This shot was made in 1978 Cypress Gardens FL. Nikon F2, 90mm. Hibiscus come in many colors and a variety of shapes. It is the state flower of Hawaii and a favorite yard flower of many in the South. I shot both i mages on the

# B-304 Golden Lantana

# B-322 Orange Daylily

same day during a recent visited to Cypress Gardens in FL. Canon 7e, Kodak Royal Gold 100, 28/90 set to 90 mm, auto close-up setting controlling exposure and focus. Orchids, many people spend a lot of money

#B-331 Chinese Hibiscus

# B-345 Orange Hibiscus

possessing them and probably is the number one flower grown by hobbyist. I shot these beau- ties at Lowe's Gar- den Center. Canon 7e, KRG 200 90mm F.8/50. Red Star Impatience and

B-326 Purple Phalaenopis Orchid

B-343 Purple Moth Orchid

(right) Petunia's are a favorite garden flower. Both flowers come in variety of colors. Petunia's can be multi colored. Both pictures were made at Lowe's Garden Center. Canon 7e, Kodak Royal Gold 200, 28/90 at 90 mm, f.8 Canon AE Anthurium is a Greek word meaning "Flower Tail." This flower has become a standard

B-338 Red Star (Nemesia)

B-336 Petunia Hybrida

in many flower shops and markets. It is a hardy flower and as a cut flower appears to last longer then the average. Anthurium's are seen in white, pink, blood red and a variety of color in-between.

B-0542 Anthurium Flower

B-0797 Yellow Hibiscus

Visiting Selby Gardens - Sarasota Fl. Flower identifications furnished by Angel Lara of Selby Gardens

Most city's have a botanical garden. If you like tropical flowers and in particular orchids, in the Tampa Bay area Selby Gardens is the place. Best way to go about a visit is to call and ask what is on display and what is blooming. I went at the spur of the moment and was disappointed with the variety of orchids on display. I must redo this take when more orchids are on display.

B-0713 Anthurium - Atlanta

Herbs More Helpful for Menstrual Cramps Than Drugs

A Cochrane review of 39 previous studies on Chinese herbs and menstrual pain has found that Chinese herbs were more effective in relieving menstrual cramps than non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), oral contraceptives, acupuncture, or hot water bottles.

The majority of the trials used a combination of more than five herbs. The most common herbs were Chinese angelica root (Danggui), Szechuan lovage root (Chuanxiong), red peony root (Chishao), and white peony root (Baishao).

Just how the herbs might help isn't exactly understood. According to traditional Chinese medicine, these herbs can regulate the flow of energy (called "qi") and blood, warm the body, and improve the flow of energy through the liver and kidney. In scientific terms, the researchers said that the herbs could affect hormone levels and blood circulation.

The Australian-based study involved 3,475 women in China, Taiwan, Japan and the Netherlands. More studies are needed, however, because many of the ones included in the review had a small number of participants or could have been better-designed.