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By Sharon | My mother had a plethora of houseplants. They held no interest for me when I was growing up. I much preferred climbing the mountains with Aunt Bett, gathering wildflowers and herbs and learning of the magic they held. To a little tomboy, houseplants were nothing but boring, except for the one that I was told to never touch, Aloe vera.
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Name: Lin Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)              plantladylin Aug 3, 2011 6:16 PM CST |
| Sharon: Another great article on an interesting and useful plant! I remember receiving a little Aloe "pup" from a co-worker in the mid 1970's and that thing grew and multiplied to the point where it was over running a flower bed. We dug hundreds of large, medium and small Aloe's out one year, gave them to neighbors and friends and still had what seemed like a truck load that went out with the trash. I now keep one or two Aloe's in containers because I can't imagine being without that healing sap! Years ago when one of my nieces came to Florida on vacation she spent too many hours on the beach and got a pretty bad sunburn. I immediately cut off a couple of Aloe spikes, took scissors and cut away the spines down each side of the stem, slit the stem down the center and put the aloe juice on her sunburn. She was amazed at how quickly it cooled her burning skin! Some folks have said that the aloe juice stinks, but it's the best burn remedy ever! I can't count the number of times I've burned myself on the stove, or with the iron and the first thing I reach for when that happens is my garden shears to cut a stem of Aloe! I think every household should have a little Aloe plant on the kitchen windowsill! Lin ~ Eat, Sleep .... Play in the dirt ~ |
Name: Sharon Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a)           Sharon Aug 3, 2011 6:26 PM CST |
| Thanks, Lin. I'm glad to know that somebody else counts aloe as valuable as I do! My daughter lives in the south too, and I think every product she has must have aloe in it. She isn't much of a gardener or she'd keep it as a houseplant. I think I must have failed in my mommy duties about the gardening part! |
Name: Susie Phoenix AZ (Zone 9a) Southwest Gardening~ moderator/ATP.        Aguane Aug 3, 2011 7:24 PM CST |
| Sharon, your article about Aloe should be published every Spring. It is a wonder plant with so many beneficial attributes. I ALWAYS have aloe growing for all the reasons you mention here. Some people ask me if they can just go to Walgreen's and purchase the product in a bottle. The answer I give them is "No". The fresh plant kept on hand is the only way to go! ~Thanks again! “Don't give up too quickly"... unknown, I heard it somewhere. ~ All Things Plants, SOUTHWEST GARDENING ~Cubits.org ENERGY & POWER |
Name: Sharon Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a) Sharon Aug 3, 2011 7:39 PM CST |
| Thanks Susie, that's exactly the way I feel about fresh Aloe! |
Name: Sandi Austin, Tx (Zone 8b) Texas Gardening        Bubbles Aug 3, 2011 9:18 PM CST |
| Enjoyed your article about aloes. Even non gardening neighbors have it growing in their yards for burns. Of course, this is Texas so they grow much bigger here! |
Name: Sharon Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a) Sharon Aug 3, 2011 9:29 PM CST |
| I hear that same thing every time my SIL visits and sees my little tiny aloe that I'm so proud of! She's from Texas, too. |
Name: Sandi Austin, Tx (Zone 8b) Texas Gardening Bubbles Aug 3, 2011 9:34 PM CST |
It's not tiny, it's just a different variety.  |
Name: Sharon Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a) Sharon Aug 3, 2011 9:47 PM CST |
| Sure. |
Name: Becky (Boo) Phoenix, AZ 85022 finding joy one day at a time!    Boopaints Aug 3, 2011 10:56 PM CST |
| I love Aloe and have also had it in my garden all of my life. From sunburn to chapped lips to bug bites, it really works! Thank you for another great article. ALL THINGS PLANTS ~ Garden Art ~ Purslane & Portulaca ~ MY CUBITS ~ Trust in the Lord ~ MY WEB SITE ~ Joyful Times Today |
Name: Sharon Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a) Sharon Aug 3, 2011 11:23 PM CST |
| Me too, Becky, but I forgot to mention the chapped lips! Thanks. |
Name: Susie Phoenix AZ (Zone 9a) Southwest Gardening~ moderator/ATP. Aguane Aug 3, 2011 11:32 PM CST |
| (my ad page is loaded with aloe ads:) ))j Interesting how this works. “Don't give up too quickly"... unknown, I heard it somewhere. ~ All Things Plants, SOUTHWEST GARDENING ~Cubits.org ENERGY & POWER |
Name: Sharon Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a) Sharon Aug 3, 2011 11:37 PM CST |
| Fun, isn't it? |
Name: Renée Northern KY     KyWoods Aug 4, 2011 2:24 PM CST |
| I brought my aloe here from California nearly 14 years ago, and I still use it for sunburn and bug bites. |
Name: Sharon Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a) Sharon Aug 4, 2011 2:53 PM CST |
| Long-lived, aren't they, Renee? |
Name: Sandy Coffman Jacksonville, Florida     wren Aug 6, 2011 9:12 AM CST |
| Great article I lost my plant to a combination of to many freezes and yard help who did not follow directions. Really need to get another one soon. |
Name: Sharon Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a) Sharon Aug 6, 2011 9:37 AM CST |
| Thanks, Sandy, Yes, you really need to get another one. |
Name: Vicki North Carolina     vic Aug 6, 2011 9:54 AM CST |
| GREAT article Sharon! I don't have an Aloe plant anymore but when I did, I used it numerous times for sunburn. It felt so cool and healed the burn quickly! I used Aloe for my radiation burns when I had cancer and it was the ONLY "lotion" my radiation oncologist allowed. I bought pure Aloe in a bottle  and while it worked beautifully on my radiation burns, to this day, when I smell it, it takes me right back to the room with the big machine shooting rads.  Not a painful memory, just not a happy one.  Not too long after I finished radiation, a dear friend I worked with was scheduled for radiation following her cancer. I bought her a bottle of Aloe and put it in her mailbox. She told me it was great stuff!  I'm with Sandy, I need to get another one. There's always a clothespin for my nose  ALL THINGS PLANTS ~ Garden Art ~ Purslane & Portulaca ~ CUBITS ~ Trust in the Lord ~ Heart Strength ~ Find JOY at http://joyfultimestoday.com/ |
Name: Sharon Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a) Sharon Aug 6, 2011 11:13 AM CST |
| That's so good to know, Vic. Sorry for your purpose for it's use, but I'm so glad it helped. We can put up with a lot of scents if we know they are good for us, don't you think? |
Name: Vicki North Carolina vic Aug 6, 2011 11:48 AM CST |
We sure can! That goes for tastes too - like cod liver oil and icky stuff we used to have to take when we were little  ALL THINGS PLANTS ~ Garden Art ~ Purslane & Portulaca ~ CUBITS ~ Trust in the Lord ~ Heart Strength ~ Find JOY at http://joyfultimestoday.com/ |
Name: Sharon Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a) Sharon Aug 6, 2011 11:50 AM CST |
| Yup. Except I'm not sure that cod liver oil would stay down, even if I needed it. Nor would cod. Nor would liver. Me and my quirks. |
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