Most of us are familiar with hazelnuts. The collective name “hazelnut” refers to high-yielding and high-quality selected forms and interspecific hybrids of hazel (hazel), mainly common hazel, large hazel (Lombard), Pontian hazel and variegated hazel.
Hazelnut. Photo from the GreenInfo.ru forum
Man has used hazel fruits for food since ancient times. Hazel culture originally originated on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. The Circassians bred it already in the 3rd-4th centuries. BC. From here he came to the Mediterranean countries. Later the culture spread to other European countries. As a result of centuries-old selection and interspecific hybridization of hazel, this wonderful nut-bearing crop was obtained. But in our conditions, hazelnuts can be capricious, and that’s when hazel comes to the rescue.
These various hazels
Common hazel. Artist A.K. Shipilenko
In our forests there is common hazel (Corylus avellana) - a shrub from the birch family (Betulaceae) up to 5-7 m high. Its leaves are alternate, broadly oval, with a heart-shaped base, pointed at the apex, double-toothed at the edges, dark green on the upper side, hairy, rough, the undersides are light green, more densely pubescent. The plant is monoecious, wind-pollinated. Male inflorescences, consisting of numerous flowers, overwinter in open earring buds. In early spring, before the leaves bloom, they open and dust within 3-6 days. Female flowers are collected in two-flowered inflorescences, surrounded by leaf scales and shaped like buds. The pollen of this plant is a strong allergen. It contains nitrogen-containing compounds and flavonoids derived from quercetin.
The fruits are single-seeded nuts with a woody shell, surrounded by a leaf-shaped wrapper (plush).
It is widespread in the central and southern zone of European Russia, including the Caucasus. It grows among thickets of shrubs, in light mixed and broad-leaved forests (especially oak, linden, hornbeam and beech) as undergrowth, on the edges, clearings and clearings. In the mountains it rises to the mid-mountain and sometimes upper-mountain zones. Often forms thickets of significant area.
In addition to it, another species is found in the Caucasus - tree hazel (Corylus colurna). People call it Constantinople nut, Byzantine nut, Turkish nut, bear nut. This species can be found on the mountain slopes and gorges of the Sochi region of the Krasnodar Territory, in Teberda and Dagestan. Rarely found, mainly in inaccessible places. It is listed in the Red Book of the RSFSR.
Tree hazel is a tree 20-25 m high with a dense, wide-pyramidal crown, round or ovoid-oval leaves 7-12 cm long, 5-9 cm wide, narrowed towards the apex and short-pointed, with double-toothed edges. Fruits are crowded in groups of 3-8; the plus (wrapper) is velvety, wide open, significantly larger than the nut and repeatedly dissected into narrow curved lobes. The nuts are small, compressed from the sides, with a very thick and hard shell.
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Other types of hazel grow on the territory of Russia, the fruits of which are used as food: Siebold hazel (Corylus sieboldiana), multi-leaved hazel (Corylus heterophylla) - found in Siberia and Primorye), Manchurian hazel (Corylus mandshurica) - found in the Far East, and many other.
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How to weave a rocking chair from willow vine
A rocking chair is increasingly becoming an integral attribute of every country house. Among the wide range of similar designs, products made from wicker are popular, as they fit wonderfully into the interior of the dacha and provide the owners with a comfortable rest in nature. This chair is easy to make yourself at home.
It's all about phenols
Leaves, nut shells and bark of young shoots are used as medicinal raw materials for common hazel and tree hazel. The leaves are collected in the first half of summer, dried, spread in a thin layer in a dry, ventilated area. The bark is harvested from young shoots in May - June, when it is easily separated from the wood. Dry it in the sun or in attics.
The bark contains essential oil, which has a vasoconstrictor effect, triterpenoids (betulin - 0.2%), tannins (2.5-10.8%), including phlobaphenes, tannins, in general, a whole set of various phenolic compounds. The leaves contain aldehydes (hexene-2-al-1), essential oil (contains paraffins, palmitic acid), vitamin C, carotene, tannins (7.7-11.6%), flavonoids (quercitrin, myricitrin), phenolcarboxylic acids (chlorogenic acids, etc.). Its kernels contain up to 72% oil, up to 20% proteins, up to 8% carbohydrates, 2-3% mineral salts and vitamins A and B. 400 g of hazelnut kernels provide the daily calorie needs of an adult. Hazel oil is non-drying, has excellent taste and is easily absorbed by the body. It can be used as a preventive and therapeutic agent in the treatment of atherosclerosis, as well as in perfumery, painting, and for the production of candles and soap. This is a good basis in aromatherapy.
Common and tree hazels are used in medicine almost equally.
Weaving furniture with your own hands is an opportunity to create a unique interior
Do-it-yourself wicker furniture, made in the best traditions of folk craftsmen, are exclusive interior items, distinguished by their reliability, originality, elegance, and ease of use.
Do-it-yourself decorative wooden fences photo? Vine has long been used to create exquisite and at the same time inexpensive household items. Once you master basic weaving techniques, you can easily make almost any furniture. In addition, vine is an environmentally friendly, durable and free raw material.
Before you start making wicker furniture yourself, you should carefully study the step-by-step instructions for beginners. They describe in detail the process of creating furniture from wicker, from the moment of harvesting the material to assembling the finished structure. Pay attention to the design, as well as the structure of the frame part, because this is what will guarantee the strength of the created product.
The unique appearance of the furniture is given by the weaving method. It can be single, openwork, combined. To make reliable and durable furniture, you need to decide on the method of fixing individual parts of the structure. Fastenings can be detachable or permanent.
In the first case, the assembly process is significantly simplified, in the second, the strength and reliability of the finished product increases.
But nuts are not simple...
As mentioned above, almost the entire plant is used for medicinal purposes, but for very different diseases. Let's start with the most delicious, with kernels.
As we have already mentioned, it is advisable to include nuts in the diet of people prone to sclerosis. In folk medicine, nuts are often used against urolithiasis, and nuts with honey are used for rheumatism, anemia and as a general tonic.
Nuts are used as a cough remedy as follows. Take 1-2 handfuls of peeled nuts, crush them in a mortar, mix with honey, diluted with an infusion of some antitussive plant, such as thyme or oregano, and take a dessert spoon every 30 minutes.
Burns are treated with oil mixed with egg white. It is a good remedy for strengthening hair. The oil is rubbed into the scalp in a similar way to castor oil. And if you add some essential oil that has a cosmetic effect, for example, orange, chamomile, rose, lavender or ylang-ylang, then the healing effect will increase. Sometimes it is taken against worms (roundworms). In Georgia, nuts are sometimes used as a carminative, and also to improve milk secretion in nursing women. In Azerbaijan, burnt dry hazelnuts are used to color eyebrows and eyelashes.
Shells can also be used. Walnut shell extract is considered a good remedy for prostate adenoma. Pour crushed shells from 1 kg of nuts into 2 liters of water and boil over low heat until 1 liter of broth remains, strain and add 1 kg of honey. Take this extract 30 ml 3 times a day.
Common hazel
Creating a design
A wicker chair should be durable, the basis of which will be proper manufacturing. The procedure for forming the skeleton of the structure is as follows:
- Assembly begins with a wooden base. Do-it-yourself wicker fence from boards photo? The frame often looks like a single element that includes the seat and back of the rocking chair. The support legs are attached to it with self-tapping screws.
- To strengthen the structure, cross strips are mounted between the front and rear legs.
- Armrests and other elements are installed on the chair body using self-tapping screws, according to the drawing.
- After the frame components are securely fixed, the temporary fastening is removed.
...leaves and bark too
In Bulgarian folk medicine, an infusion of leaves or bark of young shoots of hazel is also recommended for use for prostate hypertrophy. Prepare the infusion as follows. 1 table. pour a spoonful of crushed raw materials into 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, strain). Take 1-2 tablespoons several times a day before meals.
In addition, laboratory studies have shown the antioxidant effect of the bark of young branches.
Externally in European medicine, a concentrated infusion of shoot bark was used for hemorrhoidal bleeding and varicose ulcers. This decoction is especially effective in the form of microenemas or sitz baths.
The root bark taken internally in the form of a tincture is used in French medicine for heavy menstruation. Infuse 30 g of bark in ½ liter of vodka and take 30 drops 3 times a day before meals.
In early spring, it is recommended to prepare earrings , which were used in European medicine as a remedy for epilepsy. For dysfunction in women and delayed menstruation, take equal parts of male inflorescences (“catkins”) of hazel and walnut, and fennel fruits. Pour 20 g of the mixture into 1 liter of boiling water and boil for 1 minute. Add 6 tablespoons of honey. Drink 100 g during the day.
Hazel
In folk medicine, hazel preparations are used for acute and chronic prostatitis, as well as for prostate adenoma. In a mixture with other plants, hazel leaves are used for prostate adenoma.
An example of a fairly simple collection would be the following: Mix equal parts of hazel leaf, black currant and thyme herb. Pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture into a glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, drink the infusion warm in one go, preferably in the first half of the day.
For prostatitis, hazel leaf is combined in preparations with anti-inflammatory plants and those with an antimicrobial effect.
The bark, mixed in equal parts with parsley roots, is used for retention and painful urination.
An infusion of hazel leaves and bark is used for varicose veins, phlebitis and periphlebitis, trophic leg ulcers and capillary hemorrhages.
To prepare an infusion of leaves, pour 2 tablespoons of crushed raw materials into 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, strain. Take 1/2 cup 4 times a day before meals.
A decoction of the leaves is prepared from 2 tablespoons of crushed raw materials, which are poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water, boiled for 10 minutes, and filtered. If you have prostate adenoma, it is recommended to drink water instead of normal water.
Bark decoction. Pour 1 tablespoon of crushed raw material into 0.5 liters of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes, leave until cool, strain. Take 1/2 cup 4 times a day before meals.
In some countries, an oil infusion of the leaves is used to treat neurodermatitis, eczema, athlete's foot and limited streptococcal skin lesions.
Raw material processing
Weaving from wicker is possible after the harvested material has undergone certain preparation. The order is as follows:
- Water is boiled in a metal container.
- The prepared rods are lowered into the vat and boiled for 10-12 hours.
- The bark is removed from stems treated in hot water.
- A thin vine is cut with a splitter into several strips (shreds). A cut is made at one end of the rod into which the stake is inserted. Using this tool, the vine is split into 3-4 strips.
- The tires are pulled through a press, resulting in them being the same size and appearance.
- Thick welded rods are installed in pre-prepared templates, which are made in full size in accordance with the drawing.
- Making a template is easy. A frame pattern is applied to a wood surface (preferably chipboard). In accordance with the diagram, wooden cylinders or pipes are fixed to the base. The frame rods will be bent around these fastenings.
- The vines curved in the template are connected to each other for a while using bars or strong thread.
- The frame with ties and thin wicker bars are placed in a drying chamber.
The complete drying period lasts about 72 hours. After this, they begin to assemble the rocking chair.
Contraindications
Attention! In sensitive people, hazel-based medications cause allergies of varying severity - from rashes on the body to Quincke's edema.
A contraindication for using homemade recipes is the appearance of hives after eating nuts.
When using bark infusions, it is necessary to observe the functioning of the intestines. The constituent substances have a fixing effect. To avoid constipation, during the treatment period you should eat dishes made from zucchini, beets, and carrots.
Final Steps
The finished structure is treated with an antifungal agent and liquid that will prevent the appearance of wood pests.
To increase moisture resistance, special varnishes with water-repellent characteristics are used. Before coating with a protective agent, the product is given the required shade. To do this, use stain or paint.
The finished rocking chair will bring beauty, comfort to your home and will become a favorite relaxation spot for every family member.
How to treat the surface → Room decoration → How to choose the right paint → Surface treatment technologies → Leveling and finishing the walls → Selecting and applying a primer → Removal from the surface → Stretch ceilings and technologies → Reviews and testimonials
Medicinal properties of the plant
Hazel is actively used in herbal medicine and cosmetology; its beneficial properties allow the use of herbal remedies for various purposes. It is known that infusions, decoctions, tinctures and other natural preparations have the following effects:
- Antipyretic;
- Anti-inflammatory;
- Antidysenteric;
- Vasoconstrictor;
- Lactational (stimulates the production of breast milk in nursing women);
- Choleretic;
- Laxative;
- Healing;
- General strengthening;
Hazel can lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood; it is used to prevent a number of diseases and as an immunomodulator. The fruits of the plant have not only a huge vitamin and mineral reserve, but also great nutritional value.
This video talks about the benefits of hazel:
Installation of runners
To increase the service life of the rocking chair, it is recommended to install runners that are wear-resistant. The procedure is as follows:
- Turn the structure upside down.
- Heat the skis with a hairdryer, place them on the runners one by one and wrap them along the entire length with cotton tape.
- After the pads have cooled and taken the desired shape, glue them to the runners, first removing the fabric. For high-quality fastening, secure the ends of the planks with nails.
- Allow the glue to harden for 48 hours, after which remove the nails and replace them with self-tapping screws. Cover the installation areas with a mixture of glue and sawdust.
It is recommended to install fasteners only on the edges of the runners. This is due to the fact that during operation the linings wear out, the heads of the hardware will begin to stick out and spoil the floor covering.
Braid construction
This fascinating process begins when the frame is completely assembled. The braiding procedure includes the following steps:
- Gives softness to tires. To do this, use a cylindrical shape, over which they throw the vine, pull it a little and pull it several times in different directions.
- Coating the braid with two-component glue or PVA. After this, the body of the chair is woven.
- Winding the frame in three rods. This will strengthen the fastening of the structure and also facilitate the process of internal weaving, which is performed in different ways: single, openwork or combined.
- Braiding the body using several techniques: braid, checkerboard, simple linear method, etc.
When the braid is ready, support skis and supports are attached.
