A friend sent me a clip from a news story out of West Virginia about the removal of a Linden Tree. What made him curious was not the toys found under the tree; it was the tree itself. This particular tree was the last survivor of three Linden trees brought to the United States by German immigrants. Why, he asked,…
Category: German Plants
What is Maggikraut : All about Liebstöckel or Lovage
riend Edie told me about Maggikraut, I didn’t believe her. In my world, Maggi exists in liquid form to add flavor to soups and stews. I’ve even visited Spicey’s Spice Museum in Hamburg to see the Maggi exhibit (yes, I realize the previous sentence makes me sound like a nerd, but we all know how much I love small museums).…
Edelweiss! All about this Legendary Alpine Flower
When I was a little girl, my Opa sent me a card that had a dried pressed edelweiss flower and a miniature hiker’s axe on it. I loved pulling back the protective cover and petting the soft fuzzy petals. For years that card sat on my bookshelf, and I would imagine the mysterious far-off mountain it came from. You see,…
What is a Schrebergarten or Kleingarten? Germany’s Little Gardens
You are traveling along in Germany, and suddenly, on the side of the railroad tracks, there is a cluster of fenced-in tiny houses surrounded by small gardens. Are these actual homes? Is it a campground for seasonal workers? Is this where the Garden Gnomes live when they aren’t in your garden?? These little plots of land are called Schrebergarten or…
Symbolism of Maiglöckchen, Lily of the Valley in German
On May the first, or Maitag, and throughout the month, everywhere you look, you will see Maiglöckchen or Lily of the Valley. Flower shops sell bouquets and small posies, you will see image on cards, and people love to give them as a special sweet smelling token of happiness, joy and love. What made these little bell shaped flowers such…