Flowers are the music
A garden at the Edelweiss Lodge, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, August 2005
“Flowers are the music of the ground…” — Edwin Curran
For many Americans my age or older, it’s almost impossible to visit the Bavarian Alps without remembering the opening scenes from the movie The Sound of Music. So Curran’s quote seemed appropriate for this photo of a garden in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. If you’ve ever been to Bavaria in the summer, you know that the hills and villages really are alive, and not just with the sound of music, but also the sight of it. Seemingly everywhere, there are symphonies of flowers in all colors, decorating buildings with charming window boxes, and lining the walkways with bright borders.
The breathtaking Alpine views would be gorgeous enough without added beauty, but the locals must have been so inspired by living amid such scenery that they have created towns that complement rather than detract from the natural splendor. The picturesque shutters and balconies of the chalets are a perfect enhancement to the stunning backdrop of the mountains. But it’s the flowers that bring the scenes to life, completing the fairy-tale enchantment of this beautiful part of the world.
Flowers add visual music everywhere, of course. What are your local flowers playing today? Take some time to enjoy “listening” to their songs!
This post was originally published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: Alps, Bavaria, chalets, charm, flowers, gardens, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, mountains, music, nature, picturesque
Defeat Despair 
Julia, Beautifully described!
-Alan
Thank you, Alan. I hope you are doing well!
So far so good. And hope the same for you!
-Alan
Hi Alan, yes, we’re well and grateful. 🙂
Julia,
I was there…it was the dead of winter, the snow was deep on the ground and the temperature was about 5°F below zero. Why was I there? Because I was about to take the journey of my life, to come home (the USA) to the man I’d fallen in live with while our family was stationed in München, Germany. My father was in the US Army. We went to Garmisch to spend the last weekend as a family before I left for Bremerhaven, and the ship that would bring me to the United States. It was all heady stuff to the 19 year old girl I was then.
My husband and I celebrated 57 years together this last February. ♥️
WOW Carol, what an adventure, for sure! And at 19 years old! Thanks for sharing your story with us. Judging by how long you’ve been married, that means that this all took place long before there was online connection (or for that matter, even affordable long distance telephone) to ease the stress of leaving home and family so far behind. Congratulations on 57 years and counting! It’s a rare and precious blessing, as I know all too well. ❤