Office plant found at ground zero a symbol of rebirth - CNN.com

Office plant found at ground zero a symbol of rebirth - CNN.com:

'via Blog this'

isn't this a wonderful miracle?

I think this plant might be a creeping dwarf myrtle

Ground Zero: September 11, 2001 - September 11, 2011 - The Big Picture - Boston.com

Ground Zero: September 11, 2001 - September 11, 2011 - The Big Picture - Boston.com

best photographic documentation I ever came across AND you can translate the pictures' text into about any language

9/11 remembered

9/11 remembered

*the* symbol of 9/11 to me is the survivor tree - beaten up by the fire, nursed back, again beaten up by forces of nature and still

standing tall, very much alive and flowering

9/11 to me wasn't just an attack to the USA - it was an attack to what the US is standing for, and this is applicable to ALL people worldwide:

freedom of speech, freedom to vote, freedom to think(!), freedom to live in peace and have your representatives listen to you, freedom to pursue your way of finding happiness and worship the way you believe (as long as this will NOT hurts anybody else)

a long long time ago a German poet rendered a very very old poem of unknown origin (I'm citing the original 6 strophes and those that got translated have their English translation right behind die German original), and Pete Seeger made it a song:


from about 1800:

1. Beleget den Fuß
Mit Banden und mit Ketten
Daß von Verdruß
Er sich kann nicht retten,
So wirken die Sinnen,
Die dennoch durchdringen.
Es bleibet dabei:
Die Gedanken sind frei.

2. Die Gedanken sind frei
Wer kann sie erraten?
Sie fliehen vorbei
Wie nächtliche Schatten;
Kein Mensch kann sie wissen,
Kein Kerker verschließen
Wer weiß, was es sei?
Die Gedanken sind frei.

Thoughts are free, who can guess them?
They flee by like nocturnal shadows.
No man can know them, no hunter can shoot them
with powder and lead: Thoughts are free!

3. Ich werde gewiß
Mich niemals beschweren,
Will man mir bald dies,
Bald jenes verwehren;
Ich kann ja im Herzen
Stets lachen und scherzen;
Es bleibet dabei:
Die Gedanken sind frei

4. Ich denk was ich will
und was mich erquicket,
Und das in der Still
Und wenn es sich schicket;
Mein Wunsch und Begehren
Kann Niemand mir wehren;
Wer weiß was es sei?
Die Gedanken sind frei.

I think what I want, and what delights me,
still always reticent, and as it is suitable.
My wish and desire, no one can deny me
and so it will always be: Thoughts are free!


5. Wird gleich dem Gesicht
Das Sehen versaget,
So werd ich doch nicht
Von Sorgen geplaget.
Ich kann ja gedenken,
Was soll ich mich kränken?
Es bleibet dabei:
Die Gedanken sind frei.

6. Ja fesselt man mich
Im finsteren Kerker,
So sind doch das nur
Vergebliche Werke.
Denn meine Gedanken
Zerreißen die Schranken
Und Mauern entzwei:
Die Gedanken sind frei.

And if I am thrown into the darkest dungeon,
all this would be futile work,
because my thoughts tear all gates
and walls apart: Thoughts are free!


[added later]
Drum will ich auf immer
den Sorgen entsagen
und will mich auch nimmer
mit Grillen mehr plagen.
Man kann ja im Herzen
stets lachen und scherzen
und denken dabei:
Die Gedanken sind frei!

So I will renounce my sorrows forever,
and never again will torture myself with whimsies.
In one's heart, one can always laugh and joke
and think at the same time: Thoughts are free!

my blue coneflower opened

isn't she pretty?

From blue coneflower

From blue coneflower

From blue coneflower

From blue coneflower

From blue coneflower

From blue coneflower

From blue coneflower

Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler

Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler aka Paulchen about 4 years old in my Ohio-garden:

From Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler

Common Name:.............Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler

Classification:..........Hybrid Musk, Rambler

"born":..................1916

Color:...................light pink - white

Average Height:..........20" - 30"

Average Width:...........n / a

Number of Petals:........double

Cold Hardiness:..........zones 4 - 9

Resistance to disease:...yes

Fragrance:...............very, musky

Foliage:.................small-ferny

Growth:..................climbing

Bloom:...................once in late spring / early summer

History:.................?

and:.....................avoid pruning, very thorny stems

as I just couldn't do without this rose, I ordered Paulchen bareroot from David Austin roses (VERY strong plants you get there!)

and now photos of Paulchen in spring 2011 - he's nearly 2 year old now:

From Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler

From Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler

From Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler

From Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler

some of my fav books about roses and rose-gardens

Poulsen Parade white - Freya

last year I found out, these darling miniroses sold at the grocery store were Poulsen roses! I was so thrilled to see these Danish beauties grow in my yard, and this year they are just stunning!

the creme Poulsen Parade Minirose I identified as Freya ™ (most likely it's this rose, as she has a distinct fragrance resembling Iceberg)

below how this minirose looks like on the Poulsen website:

From Poulsen Parade white

Sale Name:.................Freya ™
Introductionsyear:.........2009
Product Group:.............Parade ®
Flower color:..............white or almost white
Flower Description:........double
Flower Size:...............small, between 5 and 8cm
Number of Petals:..........more than 25
Fragrance:.................wild Rose fragrance
Flowering:.................normal
Growth Form:...............bushy
Plant Height:..............low, 40-60cm
Foliage:...................dark shiny


Freya gracing my yard - we had a lot of rain this year, on some of the photos her flowers are just filled with rainwater:

From Poulsen Parade white

From Poulsen Parade white

From Poulsen Parade white

From Poulsen Parade white

From Poulsen Parade white

From Poulsen Parade white

From Poulsen Parade white

a still very small firefly on Freya:

From Poulsen Parade white

an unknown bug (ant perhaps?) on Freya:

From Poulsen Parade white

my blue coneflower

for about 2 years there were some bright green leaves and I had no idea at all, what this plant could be about... but this year it started to have a bud - very beautiful:

From blue coneflower

From blue coneflower

From blue coneflower

From blue coneflower

and thanks to google and this photo I could identify my "sleeping beauty" as a blue coneflower:

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