Once again the Earth turns around the sun and we come to the shortest day, conspiratorially hidden right next to Christmas - on Dec 21st. The Longest Night is an opportunity to make ‘Deamon Fire’ - find out how.

In pre-Christian times the solstice was an important time when the sun miraculously alters its course and the days shift to becoming longer, the nights shorter. In a World without electric light this was a profound reason for thanksgiving.

People got nervous as the days got shorter, because they could see perpetual night coming. They didn’t understand the rotation of the earth and how it makes the days shorter and longer. The Celtic priests and other leaders of early faiths in Northern Europe would promise to use their ‘power’ to re-ignite the sun. In the old Celtic tradition the evening of the longest night involved the local ‘priest’ ordering the burning of a pine tree on the nearest ‘high hill’ - a precursor to ‘beacon fires’.

Local people would be told to drag a pine tree to the top of the highest hill around December 25th. With great ceremony the priest would assert his power and control over the sun by commanding it to return to full brilliance in the following days, and firing the tree. In this way he was assured that his power was also recognised by the people he controlled. In a cunning reversal of burning a pine tree outside, we now bring them inside and sacrifice them through lack of water.

Christianity was spread most effectively by subsuming ‘ancient’ beliefs to its own ends. The practice of blood sacrifice common in ancient times, is replaced by wine and wafers, a metaphor for flesh and blood. The ancient celebration of the longest night is subsumed in the ever more materialistic dash to Christmas, now a Saturnalia of materialism where even the Christian message is lost.

Traditionally, at least in Dennis Wheatley novels, the longest night ‘Walpurgisnacht’ is associated with dark magic and lots of naked romping about and making homunculii and other horrid things. Here is confusion between Christian images of the devil and those of earlier Celtic ‘Pan’ like entities, the ‘genus locii’ of special places. Herne the Hunter of popular myth and the like. Also this time of year the sun is in Capricorn, a horned goat, contributing to another cultural mish-mash with many strands.

The ancient Celtic cycles tie the winter solstice to a time of celebration - the return of the light - a natural beginning to a New Year, a letting go of the old. There are many activities from ancient times with a positive flavour, and quite frankly its way too cold to go romping about with nothing on.
But on the longest night, like All-Hallows Eve, the veil is thin and we only need a tiny nudge to see other worlds.

Here’s one based on ancient tree burning, called ‘ Deamon Fire ‘:
You will need:
A strong metal container for a small fire
Dried lavender herb or essential oil of lavender
Dried pine cones
A new white candle

Get your container, preferably silver, and take it out under the full moon, the night of the Goddess (Full Moon is on Boxing Day 2004 Dec 26).
Wash it with the rays of the moon.
Put in the dried pine cones and place it safely outside onto a base of local stone if possible. Light the pine cones with the wick of a fresh white candle and stand back to let them burn. Sprinkle dried lavender on the flames while it burns, or use a sprinkle or three of lavender essential oil.

When it burns down, gaze into the embers while they still show lights, and see what you can see.

Then go out into the woods and quiet places and see what you can find playing in the moonbeams and starlight.

About the Author

THE LILY by Simon Mitchell (fiction)
THE LILY is the first episode of a magical new Cornish adventure novel.
Trapped in time for 2000 years, the spirit of a healer finally tells his
story. A giant conspiracy is unveiled and our hero sets out to mend the
land. Order this story by visiting:
http://www.simonthescribe.co.uk/Lily.html

This article is designed to help Horsham residents select plants and shrubs for hedges. Not all plants that are suitable are listed here but most common and easy to raise ones are listed.

Hedges are one of the major components of your landscape. Hedges define the limits of your landscape and thus should be the starting point in your landscape design. Before selecting plants, you should carefully consider their landscape requirements and the characteristics of the plants. For example, deciduous plants drop their leaves in the fall and are effective screens mainly during the growing season. Evergreens provide good screening all year. Gardeners considering a sheared, formal hedge should realize that they may need to be pruned (sheared) several times a year to remain attractive. In comparison, an informal, natural hedge is relatively low maintenance. Select shrubs that grow to the desired height. Planting a tall-maturing shrub where a short, informal hedge is desired creates work. Many landscaping problems are prevented by selecting the correct planting material.

Our plants are well suited for many hedge plantings. We sell many types of plants and shrubs which can work well as a natural privacy boarder. Bare-root material is the most economical type of nursery stock when planting a hedge. However, bare-root plants are rather small. For the beginner, bare root is the hardest type of plant to grow out. Container-grown and balled and burlapped plants are larger, but are more expensive. You will have better luck with potted and B&B stock…The added cost will be worth it. Most B&B and potted stock can be planted whenever the ground is not frozen as long as you have the knowledge to help the plants along.

Plant spacing is determined by the plant species and hedge type. Most plantings will range from a spacing of a foot or two to a couple of feet. Many people will plant the shrubs and fail to prune them back hard. Pruning generally will make the shrubs more dense and compact.

The following is a list of shrubs suitable for hedges that we sell:

Amur maple Acer ginnala 15 to 18 feet natural Barberries Berberis species 1 to 5 feet natural or sheared Boxwood Species 2 to 4 feet natural or sheared Redosier dogwood (D) Cornus sericea 8 to 10 feet natural Burning bush (D) Euonymus alatus 6 to 15 feet natural Junipers (E) 8 to 15 feet natural Beautybush (D) Kolkwitzia amabilis 8 to 10 feet natural Spirea VanHoutte (D) 6 to 8 feet natural Lilacs (D) 4 to 15 feet natural Yews (E) Taxus species 2 to 10 feet natural or sheared Arborvitae (E) 3 to 15+ feet natural or sheared Arrowwood viburnum (D) Viburnum dentatum 6 to 8 feet natural American Cranberry (D) 8 to 12 feet natural

When you visit Highland Hill Farm at 5275 W Swamp Rd. (rt. 313) Fountainville Pa. we will be happy to show you these plants. You can also go to our web site http://www.seedlingsrus.com

Admit it. When the sun is out and you are at your favorite campsite or cottage on the lake the last thing you want to do is spend a lot of time cooking a meal. Often, when vacationing, the lure to purchase instant foods is strong. Unfortunately, these convenience foods often come over packaged usually including some type of plastic. As we can see when we come across trash in the wilderness, the plastics tend to linger the longest - other than maybe glass and metal. Nothing ruins the feel of a pristine, natural area more than a bunch of garbage. Numerous studies prove that tourists return to an area primarily for its cleanliness and greenery. In this era where the economy has come to rely more on tourism, cleaning up is truly a benefit for the community.

We soon realized that walking by these messes and complaining over such disrespect, we were behaving not much better than the polluters who left it. Now when we hike we pack a supply of plastic bags (grocery bags work well) to clean up as we go. Often we earn up to $10 in returnable bottles and cans in the process. When you take a bit of time to clean up some trash not only do you have a better trail or beach to come back to, you have helped to make it safer and nicer for the next user. This simple measure just might influence others to keep it clean, as well.

When on the water with the canoe we also clean as we go by diving for garbage below the surface using a mask and snorkel. It is amazing the finds we have from these excursions under water. One of the first times we did this, we found an expensive diving mask in about 30 feet of water - enough incentive to continue this practice! We have found antique bottles, jewelry, fishing lures and reels.

It feels very good to clear up a beach of shards of broken glass hiding just below the surface before an unwary swimmer splashes into it. It does not, however, feel as good to find a large fish hook by imbedding it in the bottom of your foot. Take heart in knowing you have done a good thing as your expletive echoes off the far mountainside. Imagine an innocent child stepping on that hook instead of you and decide if it is worth taking the time…

– Written by Dave and Lillian Brummet based on the concept of their new book Trash Talk. The book offers useful solutions for the individual to reduce waste and better manage resources. A guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment. (www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)

A deciduous shrub specie from the Tree Family Celastraceae, the Staff-Tree Family, NOT the description of a protest action against our President

Burning Bush, a non-native species brought from China and Korea since the 1860’s, has escaped from ornamental plantings into urban and rural areas. It travels widely by way of its seed. This hardy plant is found in forests and brushy areas. Burning Bushes will grow well even in SHADE, with very little sun.

It is happily, not a murderous invasive species, killing absolutely every other plant around it like Crown Vetch, but this “invasive” WILL cause anything below it to starve for almost any light. It’s more than just a “traveling plant.”

Burning Bush is also known as the Winged Euonymous, Winged Wahoo, Winged Spindle Tree, all for the cork-like tabs along its branches and stems, as well as being called the Japanese Spincle Tree, and of course, the Cork Bush. That’s a lot of names.

This vase-shaped shrub has great red fall foliage which glows for weeks in early to mid-autumn, hence, its name, Burning Bush. Hedges can be sheared or globes created for decorative landscape plantings, topiaries (sculpted bush art), Burning Bushes are good for all.

Hedges from Burning Bushes can be very dense giving good screening of wind, any sun, and create privacy, even during the winter. If left unpruned, the compact form of Burning Bush will grow to about 12 feet tall and 15 feet wide. The winged form will grow to about 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide. In our area, the Burning Bush propagates naturally in shaded areas. We obtain some of our stock from seedlings we gather at a small farm cemetery on our property. Burning Bush even regrows after transplanting from the empty holes where roots are exposed!

Burning Bush is adaptable to a variety of soil conditions: Fertile to sterile, organic to clay, acidic to alkaline, rocky to sandy, this plant proves its strength. It does NOT like any wet soils, it is important to note, but it does do well in very dry soils. Burning Bush has small fibrous roots near the surface and responds well to root pruning. Balling and burlapping this shrub for transplanting does little damage, for Burning Bushes can take abuse and recover quickly.

IF YOU HAVE A “BROWN THUMB,” THIS IS A PLANT FOR YOU.

You can see more of Bill’s planting tips and articles at http://www.seedlingsrus.com or http://www.zone5trees.com

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The SS Richard Montgomery is a time-bomb waiting for a terrorist to give Britain its first real tsunami and, maybe, worse. This film shows what can happen when a government conceals something very dangerous from its own people.

Fact: The US explosives carrier Richard Montgomery sank in the Thames Estuary in August 1944. It was loaded with 15000 tons of explosive munitions. The Admiralty decided to leave the wreck and its dangerous cargo undisturbed. The wreck lies just a few hundred yards offshore between an oil refinery and the several towns. Southend on Sea is just a couple of miles away on the other side of the Thames estuary. Rumours about the ship and its cargo have circulated in these towns ever since. Denials have been issued by ministers in the House of Commons in response to MPs questions about the presence on board of biological, chemical and gas warheads. Nevertheless, rumours persist that the real reason the wreck was not made safe was because of the existence of ‘dirty weapons’ on board. http://www.ssrichardmontgomery.com for more information and links

Report Excerpt: RenewableEnergyStocks.com Reports - Oil Prices and Environmental Issues Fuel Renewable Energy Investments and Initiatives

By Brian Noer, www.RenewableEnergyStocks.com November 2005

In North America, issues such as rising oil prices, hurricanes, global warming and other environmental crises are raising the awareness and importance of renewable energy initiatives. The benefits to both consumers and corporates of energy efficient lighting solutions are gaining in importance as executives from General Electric (NYSE: GE), Philips Lighting B.V. (NYSE: PHG) and Cyberlux Corporation (OTCBB: CYBL) make evident through their conversations with RenewableEnergyStocks.com in the following report.

Traditional lighting companies are obviously aware of the energy efficient trend and are working to develop solutions that fit into the nation’s renewable energy initiatives. “Energy-efficient GE products save customers money,” said Joseph G. Howley, Manager, Industry Relations & Environmental Marketing at GE Consumer & Industrial.

“Customers are willing to pay slightly more for these products because they get a quick payback from the energy savings, “continued Howley. “For businesses, the overall cost of light, not the cost of the bulb, is what counts: bulbs can represent as little as 4 percent of the overall life-cycle cost; maintenance and labor costs such as installation represent as little as 8 percent of the overall life-cycle cost; and energy costs over the life of a bulb can represent as much as 88 percent of the overall cost of light. The financial benefits to the customer and GE drive the development of energy efficient products.”

“The capability of solid-state lighting technology has advanced significantly, at a ‘Moore’s Law’ pace,” said Mark Schmidt, COO and president of Cyberlux. “Our products harness this capability and give home builders, residential designers and home buyers a new, energy efficient alternative to traditional lighting technologies.”

To Read the Full Report Click Here: http://www.RenewableEnergyStocks.com/Articles/Energy_Efficient_Li ghting.asp

Here roam I with my cubs in the Arctic
feasting on seals by ice packs
away from human predators.
We are content in this harsh world
with our double furs and blubber,
invisible to spying cameras.

But now our safety is no more;
for we awake and our beloved ice is gone.
Marooned on ice packs we famish and expire,
because I cannot swim with my pups.
And we marvel to behold late winter and early summer
as we chance upon unforeseen bodies of water.

I do not pity you, man,
when the seas eat your land;
for did you not turn on the heat
that now melts the ice?
Nor do I bewail the walruses, the reindeer, and the caribou.
Methink those neighbors of mine will tarry longer.

But mourn for me, the perishing polar bear;
or write me a book or script me a movie.
For soon I will be gone forever
like dodo the bird or the great dinosaur.
And no homo sapient dare trace the remains
of “Ursus maritimus”the king of the north!

(EXCERPTED FROM “BEAUTIFUL,” A POETRY COLLECTION BY ARTHUR ZULU, TO BE PUBLISHED SOON. IF YOU ENJOYED READING THE POEM AND WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION TOWARD ITS PUBLICATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE AUTHOR.)

ARTHUR ZULU is an editor, book reviewer, playwright, and published author. He also writes short stories, scripts, essays, and poems.
For his works and FREE helps for writers, goto:
http://controversialwriter.tripod.com
mailto: controversialwriter@yahoo.com
Web search: Arthur Zulu

About the Author

Arthur Zulu is an editor, book reviewer, playwright, and published author. He also writes short stories, scripts, essays, and poems.

Three steps to your Personal Transformation:

1)Awareness and Perception
2)Law of Cause and Effect
3)Law of Accumulation

These categories are what you need to understand in order to be in total control of your being!

Most go through life never reaching their potential because they never take control of all their faculties or abilities.

This information is designed to help you gain complete control of your life!

So lets get into it

1)Awareness and perception.

In order to be in complete control of our self, actions, and ultimate success - we must learn to expand our awareness of what is around us.

FACT: there are certain states of mind that enable us to learn more information, retain more information, and be more aware of our environments

This state of mind is open to all of us; however, most people never call it to action.

In other words we just don’t look… The problem with that is if we are not using our resources… we are virtually blind! Or at least vary limited.

Most of us look at the world through a tunnel vision… really blinded to what is all around us.

CAMERA

E.g.: Imagine having a really nice camera…problem is that it is always stuck on the highest zoom! You can see a limited amount very detailed. However, you ignore the majority of what is around you…

Here is what I mean

ACTION: Focus on a point… (Pick a point, any point) stare at it intently. Don’t move. Stare and Focus all of your energy into that point!

That is a great quality that we can focus so intently on one thing - but…

Keep starting at the point… but while staring… try to notice what is to the sides of the point… sides of the room… keep going. All the way and you will realize that you can even see the people sitting right next to you while still focusing on the point!

That is what is called your peripheral vision…

Every leader that I know has the ability to use both their focused vision, as well as their peripheral.

They can be laser focused on a task at hand while simultaneously keeping an open mind to other situations and opportunities…

This is what I mean by awareness…

The first step to taking charge of our lives is to broaden your vision of what is all around you all of the time…

Once we are more AWARE of what is going on, we can then start making progress on expanding our perception! It’s when we do this that our transformation of self begins

Why do we get control of our perception?

We must learn to see all vantage points! All angles, all sides…

You cannot really be in control of your thoughts of you have limited thoughts!

E.g. Lifecycle?

Hit a threshold… what do you do. Some might stay quite… I say find a new lifecycle…. A new challenge and new ideas and compound!

Just a change in perception!

What about your greatest strength!

What is it? It is only strength.

I bet if you thought about it, your greatest strength when taken to an extreme could be your greatest FAULT!
E.g. TITANIC!!!! Unsinkable!!!! Got rid of lifeboats… turned up speed!!! What happened?

Most people are inside the box thinkers… even though it’s almost a cliché to say thinking outside the box, most people don’t! Why not. Most don’t change their perceptions

Control of self comes from learning to shift your perceptions to all vantage points!

E.g.: at one point everything strange that happened on this planet was an act of god!

Then Isaac Newton came around and said no - everything happens because of universal laws!

The problem that people run into when trying to shift their perception is that most people think that their perception is reality!

Is it?

Is what you perceive always what is real! MATRIX!

Perception may be your reality…. But there is a difference between reality and actuality?

Once you can understand that what you perceive is only what you think is there and may not be what is actually there! Now you have the foundation to understand the next law!

Cause and effect!

This is a universal force of nature
C -> E

You are always on one side of the equation or another!

Either you assume causes for everything you do, or you are the effect!

E.g. my organization won’t listen to me!

What side are you on with that statement? Are you a cause?

No.

What if you decided to be at cause and say that the results that I get from my organization are a direct response from my communication skills and ability to move them into action!

Our communication is always a result of that information we put out, not what is heard on the other side. If our message is not communication clearly, we should strive harder to improve our ability.

Now you are at cause.

It always easier to blame something or someone else with a result that you don’t like.’

But if you do that you are no longer in control. You are not a cause.

Another e.g. how many of you run into “circumstances in life”….
What do you usually do?
Most blame others.
Many of us may have had that situation just recently, you always have two options:

You can blame the people around you, the weather, the events, the situation or whatever else and see how your circumstances are everybody else’s fault but your own…. basically admitting that you are no longer in control of who you are and what you do!

Or you can choose to be a cause for your present moment! Personally, if a circumstance comes to me, I call it a challenge, and I think this was presented to me for a reason. I look at what other’s use as reasons not to excel, and see them as challenges to test my mental toughness and emotional intelligence to see what I deserve, what reward may be just on the other side of that obstacle!!!

I am a cause! I am in control. I choose to perceive and respond do different things!

You see once you understand that YOU can choose how you perceive things… from what vantage point you want to view…. Then you we realize that you are a cause for everything in your life. You can always be in control.

You see most people never do this…. people are so predictable!
When we say something wrong… what do we do? We Blame, Mimic, deny and justify!!!

Most people will do this. You can’t go around changing people. You simply must learn to control yourself.

A unique realization: When you decide to change yourself, you in fact change your environment!

How?

If you take a different viewpoint - you change your perception of reality. Your perception is what you perceive as real. Therefore by changing yourself you change your world!

So don’t ask for your environment to change… That’s in EFFECT

Ask for you to change… now you are a cause!

You are either affecting your environment or your environment is affecting you! Which is it?

The catch is, sometimes you don’t want to be a cause. Sometime it’s easier to blame… to stay inside the matrix!

That is what personal transformation is all about!

Is this too philosophical for you? Well let’s substantiate this argument with empirical science!

If our perception is not actuality… What is? Actuality really lays the 2 million pieces of information that your brain is processing right now!

What?

Science has proven that at any give moment, you are be bombarded by 2 million BITS if information at a time.

Some of them you recognize…. See, smell, feel, hear, taste.

MOST YOU DON’T!

Here is the thing… your human neurology cannot take in and process 2 million bits of information at the same time.

It has been proven that the avg human brain can only take in approximately 134 bits at a time!

That 134 out of the 2 million that are all around you!

All day long. Our subconscious mind deletes, distorts, and generalizes all of these bits until it narrows it down to 134 bits!!

The system that does this is called our RAS… Reticular Activation System…

This component tells our mind what to seek out! It’s our filtering system so we don’t walk around on information overload all the time!

Right now as I am writing to all of you. There are 2 million bits of info all around us. Each of you is picking up your own 134… that is your perception! Each of you right now is seeing a different movie in your mind!

Another example: Look around the room…picture a color (e.g. BLUE). Shut your eyes and focus on BLUE and open your eyes and look around and notice how much BLUE is in the room. all different shades…
What? We now programmed our subconscious to pick up that bit!

How about anybody ever buy a new car! You never see them until you buy it, then what happens? Why is it that the cars were never there and the world just copied you! They were not a part of your unconscious mind; therefore, they were just among the other 2 million bits that got sorted out!

Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

So the obvious question is what determines what 134 bits we pick up!

Ever hear of the law of magnetism! We attract what we put out! Here is why that is the case… your mind chooses the 134 bits that harmonize most with your unconscious mind!

In others words. What you perceive, or your so-called reality, is a direct result of what is going on in your own mind!

E.g. you ever notice how 2 people can have the same situation occur and have two completely different responses! They have different bits.

How many of you have those days when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed… and EVERYTHING GOES wrong? Why?

Do you see how this works? That is what I cringe on is when people think negative thoughts! Because you are shifting your perception to attract a negative 134 bits!!!

“If you really new the power of a negative thought, you would never even think about having one!”

Therefore, by understanding that it is scientifically proven that we only pick on 134 out of 2 million bits and that we are only in command of what bits we pick up, then we are perpetually at cause for our reality!!!

So the main question that you have to ask yourself is what 134 bits are you picking up?

What reality are you a CAUSE for creating for yourself!

Your reality as it is today is EXACTLY what you shaped it to be.

So if you are having success and you are happy and content, congratulations, you created that for yourself.

And if you are not successful (in your mind) and want things to change - then you must change! Become more aware… shift your perceptions and be at cause for your reality!

You choose your reality.

So now that we understand cause and effect and how we are truly at cause of everything that happens in our lives.

Lets take one last step…

Not only is this relevant for what we filer and how we perceive things, it is also tied into what actions we initiate and the results that they get!

Who here before this event, believed in Karma… or have heard the statement that “everything happens for a reason!”

What is this case?

Same philosophy here: for every cause that you initiate - other people are going to react or create an effect!

This philosophy has been around forever… its part of the universal law!

Do unto others, as you would have others do unto you!

What goes around comes around.

What you put out is what you get back.

All of these are quotes around the law of accumulation…

Once you decide to become a cause for everything in your life… you have to be careful with what you put out there!

Again, that’s why this is a step in your personal transformation!

If you stop and consider all of your action and ask what could the effect of that action be… then you should live a long a prosperous life!

If you put your actions with integrity, honesty, good heartedness, and if you are responsible, disciplined, and focused, if you are committed, persistent, and congruent… then all of these causes will generate a desired effect!

However, the opposite is also often true. And this is where you have to be careful because being a cause, or being in control in your life allocates you a lot of power and freedom to shape your reality.

With great power, comes great responsibility.

The law of accumulation just states that what you put out will continue to come back.

Therefore, as long as you do the correct things long enough… over and over - you will get your desired result.

You see successful people are not successful by chance! They are successful because they deserve to be. Just as you will deserve to be financially free when you hit that point.

Successful people are successful not because they are extraordinary people, but because they put enough good actions out there that they got there due in return… that’s it!

Do you want to learn to command the law of accumulation in your favor? I hope so!

That is the third phase of personal transformation!

I felt compelled to share this information because how to take control of your life and situation was a thought that was put in my mind years ago.

Also, at that time was the launch of our organization!

I hope that the information that stemmed for me wanting to learn to be in control of my situation can help you in your journey and your personal transformation…

Just expand your awareness, shift your perceptions, and see all vantage points.

Decide to be a cause to everything in your life.

Command the law off accumulation in your favor.

By dong this you are in control!

You will write your own check in your business. You will write your own check in life.

You take the only variable in your business and not only make it good, but decide to make it great!

So next time someone says, “are you going to retire? Are you going to be successful? Are you going to beat the system? What’s your guarantee?

You can stand tall…look them directly in the eye, and without a flinch, without a stutter, say “I have a guarantee… my guarantee is me!”

Ryan Blackport
Be FREE: www.ryanblackport.com
Meet our TEAM: www.myfuturevision.com
619.206.7926

About the Author

Was among the youngest supervisors in a Fortune 50 Company before he Co-founded a training company focusing on sales and marketing. A speaker, trainer, and master communicator.

Avoiding Allergies by Use of the Right Native Plants in the Landscape

Many of our most allergenic plants commonly used in landscaping in the United States and Canada are indeed natives. However, it is the manipulation of these plants by commercial horticulture that has, and is, causing most of the huge increases we are now experiencing with allergy problems.
Thirty years ago fewer than 10 percent of Americans had allergies. The official figure today is that a whopping 38 percent of us now suffer from allergies.(December 99, American College of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology)
Not too many years ago death from asthma was fairly rare. Today it is all too common and is considered epidemic. Asthma has now become the number one chronic childhood disease in America.
Furthermore, there is new data coming in recently that shows a strong connection between over-exposure to pollen and or mold spores and increases in other diseases such as heart disease, autism, pneumonia, and reflux disease.

American Elms
The landscape tree in most of America for many years was the tall, stately American Elm. The American Elm used to grace the streets of thousands of towns and cities and when DED, Dutch Elm Disease, started to spread and kill off these native elms, the insect-pollinated, perfect-flowered elms were most often replaced with wind-pollinated, unisexual-flowered, street trees.
Many things happened because of the big switch from the elms to these other tree species. First, the elm flowers had a rich nectar source and since these trees bloomed very early in the season, at a time when insect food sources were severely limited urban honeybees and butterflies depended on this food source.
Since the majority of the street trees used to replace the elms were wind-pollinated, they often lacked these nectaries and supplied no early-season food source. Soon we started to see a rapid decline in the total numbers of urban honeybees and butterflies. There were other factors as well behind this decline, pollution, insecticides, and disease, but the loss of the crucial early-season food sources should not be underestimated.
DED spread mostly from East to West across the US and so has the rise in allergy rates. You can actually track the spread of allergy from the decline of the elms.
The American Elms, Ulmus americana, did cause a certain amount of low-level, early spring allergy, simply because they were so very common. The over-planting of elms resulted in a lack of biodiversity and set the stage for the massive kill from the DED. We now know that it is always a mistake to use a monoculture, to plant too much of just one species. Diversity is always a good idea in horticulture.

Diversity
Biodiversity is the way to go when we are creating landscapes that will limit allergenic exposure. Almost any species of plants can eventually cause allergies if it is over-planted enough. All to often in our urban landscapes of today we see that landscapers have used the same old plants over and over again. This overly simplistic approach to landscaping results in landscapes that lack originality and produce a numbing “sameness” to far too much of our urbanscape. When residential houses are professionally landscaped with the exact same plant materials used to landscape banks, real estate offices, and dentist’s shops, we all lose.
Allergy rates today are far worse in urban areas than they are out in the country. Pollen allergies are worse in cities than in the country, despite the fact that there is much more total green matter in the countryside than in the city. Plant selection has been the main problem.

Natives and Urban Landscapes
There are many native trees and shrubs used in our landscapes. Maples, oaks, locust, poplars, willows, catalpa, birch, junipers, and many more native species are extensively used. Unfortunately the plant breeders and propagators discovered how to “sex-out” the trees and shrubs. They learned to use only male plants, ironically, as “mother plants,” as the source for their scion wood for asexual propagation. First they just used male plants from the dioecious (separate-sexed) species, but later they learned how to produce all-male clones from species that in Nature were never unisexual (the monoecious species).
For example, Honey Locust trees, (Gleditsia triacanthos) are native to our Southeastern US. Look at these trees in the wild and you will see that all of them are almost always covered with long seedpods. But go to a nursery now and look at the Honey Locust trees for sale. The ones on sale now are called “seedless” and they are in effect, all-male clones.
What exactly is the effect of using all male cloned trees and shrubs in our landscapes? Very simply, this translates to an excess of allergenic pollen. Only male flowers produce this airborne pollen. Unisexual female flowers produce no pollen.

Why the Emphasis on Male Plants?
Horticulturists knew that female plants produced seeds, seedpods, and fruit. This “litter” fell on the sidewalks and created a “mess.” By using only asexually (no sex involved) propagated cultivars (cultivated varieties), they were able to create “litter-free” landscapes. These required less maintenance and were (and still are) very popular with city arborists and the public. In the US today, four of five of the top-selling street tree cultivars are male clones.
Female flowers (pistillate) on female trees or shrubs produce an electrical (-) current. Their stigmas are broad and sticky. Airborne pollen from male plants has a negative electrical impulse before release and a positive charge after release, and this pollen is light and dry. Because of the + and - electrical charges the pollen and the stigmas are drawn to each other. They are mutually attractive. Mother Nature saw to it that pollen would land, and stick, exactly where it was needed. Female plants are nature’s pollen traps, our natural air-cleaners.
Today though, most of the female plants are long gone from our landscapes. The pollen from the males floats about, seeking a moist, sticky, positive-charged target. We humans emit a positive electrical charge, and our mucus membranes, our eyes, skin and especially the linings of our nose and throat, now trap this wayward pollen. We have become the targets Allergy develops from repeated over-exposure to the same allergens. If your own yard is full of pollen-pumping trees and shrubs, you and your family are the ones who will be exposed the most.

About the Author

Thomas Ogren is the author of Allergy-Free Gardening, Ten Speed Press. Tom does consulting work on for the USDA, county asthma coalitions, and the American Lung Associations. He has appeared on CBS, HGTV and The Discovery Channel. His book, Safe Sex in the Garden, was published 2003. In 2004 Time Warner Books published his latest: What the Experts May NOT Tell You About: Growing the Perfect Lawn. His website: www.allergyfree-gardening.com