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Du does it with flowers, herbal remedies
By Lu Xiaofeng and Xu Wei |
September 26, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WHEN walking into the garden of Du Guang's home in Xincheng Community, you are greeted by beautiful flowers like China rose, plum blossom, spider plants and narcissus. The more than 130 flowerpots covering 30 species are displayed on the shelves and have turned Du's home into a small park.
To one's surprise, Du also grows over 10 species of healthy herbs that provide simple home remedies for his family.
"If you have oral ulcers, you just need to pick off the aloe leaves and eat them after washing," Du says. "You will be cured the next day. Also, tea made by eupatorium fortunei (Peilan) has a special effect of heat-clearing and detoxification."
Du is quite familiar with the health benefits of the herbs. However, at the very beginning his belief that herbs offer quick and safe health remedies were not accepted by his family and friends - until one event changed their minds.
Du's wife used to suffer from arthritis in her right leg. She often visited the hospital but with little effect. Du put Sanchi flower buds on his wife's knee and after one week the pain was gone. The amazing effects of the herbs quickly attracted many old arthritis patients to Du's home.
Now growing flowers has become a new profession for the 71-year-old Du. He says that his affinity with flowers dated back to his time spent in a landscaping project team before retirement. He showed a strong interest in flowers at that time but didn't have enough time to study them. After retirement Du managed to gain more knowledge about flowers and herbs from related books such as the "Compendium of Materia Medica" and "China Flower Bible."
Gardening is perhaps one of the most common and popular hobbies, but Du didn't want to stick to the tried and tested, he wanted to grow something special. It occurred to him that when he was a child suffering tympanitis, his father didn't take him to hospital but put saxifrages on his ear. The wound recovered in a few days. It was the experience that encouraged Du to study the special effects of herbs.
Water, soil and fertilizer are all important elements for growing flowers, especially the soil. At first Du planted flowers directly in the soil of his community garden, but the results were poor. Then Du rode his bicycle around the village and finally found a deserted pasture. The soil he dug out was very fertile.
"It used to be a pasture for the pigs," Du says. "When the pig manure ferments in the soil, the soil becomes soft and fertile."
He has also given some soil to his neighbors who have the same interest in growing flowers.
Nowadays, Du usually shares his flower-growing expertise and experience in community talks and in the community newspaper. His lectures attract nearly 1,000 people. Whenever Du's neighbors have problems in planting flowers, they would count on him for advice.
Once a neighbor brought a potted houseleek to his home asking why the plant was so withered.
"You must have sprinkled too much water on it," he says. One week later when Du sent the "recovered" houseleek back to the neighbor's home, he was so delighted that the plant had come back to life again.
To make the neighborhood more beautiful, Du even takes charge of the four flower shelves on the stairway of the building where he lives.
"At my age, it is fortunate to find a hobby and share its fun with others," Du says.
To one's surprise, Du also grows over 10 species of healthy herbs that provide simple home remedies for his family.
"If you have oral ulcers, you just need to pick off the aloe leaves and eat them after washing," Du says. "You will be cured the next day. Also, tea made by eupatorium fortunei (Peilan) has a special effect of heat-clearing and detoxification."
Du is quite familiar with the health benefits of the herbs. However, at the very beginning his belief that herbs offer quick and safe health remedies were not accepted by his family and friends - until one event changed their minds.
Du's wife used to suffer from arthritis in her right leg. She often visited the hospital but with little effect. Du put Sanchi flower buds on his wife's knee and after one week the pain was gone. The amazing effects of the herbs quickly attracted many old arthritis patients to Du's home.
Now growing flowers has become a new profession for the 71-year-old Du. He says that his affinity with flowers dated back to his time spent in a landscaping project team before retirement. He showed a strong interest in flowers at that time but didn't have enough time to study them. After retirement Du managed to gain more knowledge about flowers and herbs from related books such as the "Compendium of Materia Medica" and "China Flower Bible."
Gardening is perhaps one of the most common and popular hobbies, but Du didn't want to stick to the tried and tested, he wanted to grow something special. It occurred to him that when he was a child suffering tympanitis, his father didn't take him to hospital but put saxifrages on his ear. The wound recovered in a few days. It was the experience that encouraged Du to study the special effects of herbs.
Water, soil and fertilizer are all important elements for growing flowers, especially the soil. At first Du planted flowers directly in the soil of his community garden, but the results were poor. Then Du rode his bicycle around the village and finally found a deserted pasture. The soil he dug out was very fertile.
"It used to be a pasture for the pigs," Du says. "When the pig manure ferments in the soil, the soil becomes soft and fertile."
He has also given some soil to his neighbors who have the same interest in growing flowers.
Nowadays, Du usually shares his flower-growing expertise and experience in community talks and in the community newspaper. His lectures attract nearly 1,000 people. Whenever Du's neighbors have problems in planting flowers, they would count on him for advice.
Once a neighbor brought a potted houseleek to his home asking why the plant was so withered.
"You must have sprinkled too much water on it," he says. One week later when Du sent the "recovered" houseleek back to the neighbor's home, he was so delighted that the plant had come back to life again.
To make the neighborhood more beautiful, Du even takes charge of the four flower shelves on the stairway of the building where he lives.
"At my age, it is fortunate to find a hobby and share its fun with others," Du says.
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