A Rose is Still a Rose..Isn't It?

When I posted yesterday, I meant to have a two part post. The theme being a rose by any other name.... but I accidentally hit enter and was published, so left it for today. Garlic is sometimes called the stinking rose, no explanation needed.
I wanted to talk about garlic because I have started eating a small clove of raw garlic a day to fend off colds and flu. I started this regimen on the advise of my daughter, who is interested in the antibiotic qualities of garlic, and suggested it after I'd been trying to fend off a respiratory tract infection for several weeks and was getting discouraged. Every afternoon I would run a two degree temperature, so I knew my immune system was working..it just didn't seem to have enough oomph to fight off the bug. After eating one large clove of garlic a day for three days, the fevers vanished and I started getting better. To benefit medicinally from garlic, it must be eaten raw right after a clove is minced or crushed. I like mine best on toast with some cream cheese but it can be sprinkled on any dish.
Here are some Cautions:

Raw Garlic is very powerful and should be eaten with other food and not on an empty stomach.
Too much raw garlic can cause injury to the digestive tract. (My thought..we have little friendly bacteria in our intestines...antibiotics tend to wipe them out and that's why we should eat yogurt any time we are on antibiotics.)
Garlic interferes with blood thinning drugs and shouldn't be used by someone taking one, nor should it be taken prior to entering the hospital for a surgical procedure.
I got this information from Garlic Central and I'd suggest that anyone who is seriously thinking of taking raw garlic on a regular basis read all about it there.

Garlic's proven antibiotic property is called acillin and was seen to kill bacteria in Louis Pasture's laboratory as well as being acknowledged as an antibiotic by modern science.

I liked this garlic wreath. It's been said that the blood of garlic eaters has antibiotic properties. No wonder vampires avoid them. As for other social issues involving the stinking rose..I leave it to you. I try to eat mine late in the day. If everyone ate a clove a day, it wouldn't be a problem.

Garlic blossoms are pretty and popular with bees, although this is a garlic chive as are the white flowers in my header.