Trees-provide oxygen and help us breathe

Imagine what it would be like if you had to put on a space suit to go outdoors, depending on an oxygen tank instead of fresh air to breathe. It might be fun for the first couple of times, but after that we'd grow tired of putting on and taking off the space suit several times a day. Could such a thing happen? Not if we're careful. The air we breathe becomes a little less pure every day, while the population on earth increases, causing the need for more fresh air. How do trees help? They make their own food in a process called photosynthesis in which leaves and needles take in carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone and other poisons from the air. In return, leaves release large amounts of pure oxygen into the atmosphere. In one year, a large tree produces enough oxygen to fill 800 houses!

Container Recipe for Sun

For hot, sunny spots, try this creative combination of drought-tolerant annuals and perennials that stand up to the hear.

1. Purple fan flower-Grows 14 inches tall, 20 inches wide.
2. Toothache plant-Grows 12 inches tall, 30 inches wide.
3. Golden dewdrop-Grows 24 inches tall, 24 inches wide.
4. Tricolor sage-Grows 24 inches tall, 30 inches wide.

Tip-Clustering containers filled with both blooms and foliage helps keep the arrangement beautiful throughout the season. If the flowers fade or need a rest before the next wave of blooms, the foliage will keep the composition lively. Purple sage and golden dewdrop are beautiful foliage companions to the yellow blooms of the toothache plant and the long blooming, heat-loving flowers of New Wonder Fan Flower.