Some people have suspected that there is SOMETHING out there that helps and then I saw this article. And it has a link to another article about this.
http://www.yearofplenty.org/20...

Ahhhhh.....that's interesting! I always "feel better' after I've been outside in the garden. Now I know there's a reason for it! Thanks for posting this. I'd like to include it in our garden club newsletter if that's okay with you.

Oh, that's fine! I've also heard some evidence that people who live on farms or ranches for at least part of their childhood have less allergies. Maybe they should look into effects of that organism on allergies. Of course, if there's much exposure to pesticides and other harmful chemicals for those children, I'll bet that cancels out at least some of the benefits.

Your last comment is about what I told Dee this mornin'.......(talkin' about the subject of the link you provided)...I was discussing that and commented that the "urban" dwellers are generally exposed to the opposite...i.e. - Toxins,poisons....particularly in the areas like the refineries in the Houston Ship Channel area and East of Houston....as well as others near the Gulf.....and not to forget ....the pollutants connected to urbanization/city life

I'm currently re-reading "Adventures With A Texas Naturalist" by Roy Bedichek and am reminded, again,....how far our "industrial/chemical machines" ...have taken us away from that lifestyle that our grandparents & before....knew and experienced....relative to a more "natural" - unspoiled exposure to Texas' beautiful & interesting fauna/flora that slowly, but surely, is disappearing...... Yes,....I know it's worldwide,.....but since I grew up here....it means more to me. Just my 2 cents worth

I didn't have allergies until my sinuses were re-arranged for me during a friendly game of hacky-sack. I was raised a country bumpkin and now live in the suburbs. I will say that gardening is definitely a good feeling. I love the greenery when everything is burnt and brown here!

Good thing it was a friendly game, Carey!

at the lake, but coming home later today....hot, hot, hot...
trying to donate some furniture, noone takes stuffed chairs. have nice ones too. not taking them home. too bad not craigs list up here...

Lee - he would've taken me to the hospital if he'd had a car. Since I was military I didn't have to worry about the insurance company calling me to ask who they needed to sue.

Sandi - fishing while sitting in a stuffed chair would be very nice, indeed!

Carey - Ahhhh......I understand! Accidents will happen....even when having fun!

I was trying to write on my Droid up there....looks like a 10 yr old wrote it!
We wound up taking the chairs back into Austin. One was a nice recliner that was too big now that 5 people are in the liv rm at the same time... And the other was a big wing back that I bought from a Vol. fire dept sale a few yrs ago when my SIL complained about not having a chair in the liv rm. I made a nice slip cover (to match the other furniture)for it and set it up in a nice spot.... Then we discovered that the night before the sale, there was a heavy downpour and all the furniture that they had set out the night before got wet. That huge wingback smelled a bit like pipe....so said SIL. We stuck it on the deck and aired it out, but it was....forever after known as..... the Depends chair! We brought it to their house and tried to leave it for him, but he was not having any of it. But the recliner found a new home with the maid who works next door to the DD's. So happy day! Going to take wing back to Salv. Army in the morning......

Depends chair!
I like that article too Linda. I will recommend it for our newsletter too.

We had a program on propagation at the S.A. meeting of NPSOT last night. I took home a piece of aloe vera to replace the one that froze last winter...and did a couple of cuttings...if they root, I'll probably just give them away. I really don't need any more plants...except for the Amsonia plants from the park road...I have seeds from those. Okay, "just say no" is complicated, right?

I co-managed the Master Gardeners' greenhouse at Zilker years ago. We could propagate almost anything with a misting table. I bought all the fittings to put a table together at home. Still have them somewhere! Realized I didn't need anymore plants in my small yard, except to give them away. I think it's probably a sickness....can't say no to a plant! Maybe there will be a study one day about people who amass too many plants that they know they can't take care of.... I know I won't be part of it...but I'll read about it....maybe....

I was very happy to see some Turks Cap plants pop up under our cedars this summer. Never planted any so don't know where those came from either!

It is like version of hoarders.I just bought 2 big containers of succulents at Lowes 75% off !

It's the summer that makes me want to swear off more plants. And the drought...mother nature should be helping us...all the water shouldn't be coming from a hose!

Our subdivision is in Stage One watering restrictions now. Can only water before 10AM and after 7PM. Stage Two can't be far behind.....

So true! We had a local plant exchange at the beginning of June. That takes even more water to keep a newly rooted plant alive. It wasn't too smart to plant them out...they needed more ICU .. lost 2
Having said that.....I am going to be in Austin at the end of July... so tempted to ask for a limelight salvia cutting..please stop me!!!!

We're all out of control, I guess! In S.A. still Stage II restrictions (rescued by that rain), watering is 3-8 a.m. and I think it's 8 to 10 p.m. Sprinklers only once a week by address. Drip irrigation is 3X a week, handheld hose anytime. I don't see how anyone gets up at 3 a.m. to water! Must be a big run on automatic timers for watering stuff at the stores. I might get some myself.

I'm startin' to feel like I'm losin' some of my "intelligence"......as I lose another plant to the heat/drought. Fortunately,....I was smart enough to acquire a large (20' x 40') shade cloth,.... large enough to shade the largest percentage of my "now-open-greenhouse" ....and I think it's rated at 75% reduced sunlight....which is really saving the day for so many of my seed - started Hippeastrums, Habranthus, Zephyranthes, Crinums - geophytes of various kinds.....and some Irises.........as well as my various other "babies" started from seed. I just need to water at least every other day (we have a well)....and that is a blessing too! I can say that my "anxiety level" is fairly low because of the aforementioned factors....sssssooooo,....maybe the gardening "benefits"haven't totally abandoned me. My heart goes out to y'all that are being restricted on water useage......