#pots and water features

[enoshimakuro]

Landscape - Retaining Walls Ideas for a sizable modern stone landscaping.

[timelordoflumpyspace]

Contemporary Landscape This is an illustration of a sizable modern stone landscaping.

[kosovare-madridista]

Buckinghamshire Retaining Walls

An example of a huge contemporary stone landscaping.

[justgetclosertome]

Contemporary Landscape

An example of a huge contemporary stone landscaping.

[oberynmaartell]

Retaining Walls - Contemporary Landscape

This is an illustration of a sizable modern stone landscaping.

[katoakenshield]

Landscape - Retaining Walls Ideas for a sizable modern stone landscaping.

[icanseenewyorkcityfrommyhouse]

Landscape - Contemporary Landscape This is an illustration of a sizable modern stone landscaping.

[emmaandhook]

Retaining Walls in Buckinghamshire Ideas for a sizable modern stone landscaping.

[bluebellsandcocklesshells]

Contemporary Landscape in Buckinghamshire

[icewindandboringhorror]

Misc daily life images

[siegetheartist]

Mediterranean Landscape - Landscape Image of a sizable brick Mediterranean backyard landscaping.

[yamaburi]

Gravel Landscape (Vancouver)

[reasonsforhope]

"During an archaeological dig in a desert area north of Jerusalem 40 years ago, a seed was discovered which was determined to be in pristine condition but had obviously seen many a year.

Now, despite falling from its parent 1,000 years ago, it has grown into a mature tree, and botanists examining it believe it may be an extinct species that was used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years—even receiving a nod in the Bible.

Neither Israeli botanists, nor Dr. Sarah Sallon, a physician who founded the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, could determine what species it was from simply from the seed covering. So they did what nature intended—they planted it.

Using a well-documented technique that saw 2,000-year-old date palm fruit pits germinate, Dr. Sallon soaked the seed in hormones, liquid fertilizer, and water, and then planted it in a pot of sterile seed; then waited.

Despite its genetic code being exposed to environmental stressors for over 1,000 years, the seed sprouted after 5 weeks. The shoot was protected by a caplike feature called an operculum. As the shoot grew, the operculum was shed—leaving something for the team to radiocarbon date. It narrowed down the age of the almost 10-centuries-old seed to between the years 993 an 1202.

Fast forward 14 years and the plant has become a 10-foot-tall tree. Dr. Sallon shared images of the tree, its bark, and its leaves with botanists around the world. One expert suggested it belonged to the genus Commiphora, found across the Arabian Peninsula and parts of Africa. A genetic analysis subsequently revealed this was the case, but a perfect match was lacking.

Pictured: The tree, now 14 years old.

Dr. Sallon and her team thought it was an extinct species known from history as Judean Balsam, but the best way to confirm that suspicion would be to have some aromatic traces similar to the resins of the myrrh tree to which it is related. However, no such fragrant compounds were detected.

Instead, the chemical analysis of the leaves identified a group of phytochemicals known as guggulterols which have been observed in a related species called Commiphora wightii that’s known to possess certain cancer-fighting properties in its resin.

A medicinal balm, the origin of which is not known, is mentioned in multiple historical texts including the Bible as ‘tsori,’ and rather than the fragrant Judean Balsam, it’s this tsori that Dr. Sallon and her team believe they have found.

They must wait until the tree, now 14 years old, produces flower or fruit to know for sure if it’s an extinct species, and if so, how to perhaps keep it alive.

Dr. Louise Colville, senior research leader in seed and stress biology at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London who wasn’t involved in the research, told CNN that it was a major accomplishment to grow a seed that old and possibly lead to a resurrection of this Biblical botanical.

“What’s surprising in this story is it was just a single seed and to be able to have one chance for that to germinate is extremely lucky,” she said.

“Working in a seed bank, seeing the potential for that extreme longevity gives us hope that banking and storing seeds that some at least will survive for very long periods of time.”"

-via Good News Network, October 8, 2024

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Note: This is such a good demonstration of why seed banks are so important!! They give us such real and massive hope for deextinction and the revival of endangered species.

[drakehenderson]

River Rock Landscape An example of a mid-sized coastal partial sun courtyard river rock landscaping in summer.

[danielaprice]

Landscape River Rock in San Diego Image of a mid-sized coastal courtyard with river rock landscaping and partial sun in the summer.

[liteblueeblog]

Landscape - Brick Pavers Design ideas for a large tropical partial sun backyard brick walkway.