WHAT WOULD ANNE FRANK THINK?

Rose The Fairy, organically grown.

Calendulas and pansies are edible.

Cousin David giant slayer, guards the goods against Bambi & Co.

Gooseberries are a controlled substance in West Virginia. They might carry a fungus fatal to white pine.

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be. " Anne Frank

WHAT WOULD ANNE FRANK THINK?

The bad news is that free speech continues to be abused by haters such as president Obama's former pastor Jeremiah Wright, who claims that "them Jews" are blocking his access to the White House. This, following the fatal shooting of Holocaust Museum security guard Stephen T. Johns, by Neo Nazi James von Brunn, points to the supreme irony of an African American pastor and a Neo Nazi being on the same page when it comes to "them Jews." I wonder what Anne Frank, whose 80th. birthday the Holocaust Museum was about to commemorate on the day of the shooting, would have thought of this. What would she have thought of the reelection of Iranian Ahmadinejad, another Holocaust denying Jew hater? Would she continue to think, in face of apparently deathless bigotry, that "people are really good at heart"? Most probably. In the battle between light and darkness, light always prevails. Pathetic, frightened, narrow spirited people such von Brunn, Wright and Ahmadinejad end up as minor historical bleeps.The greatness of heart of Stephen T. Johns, and Anne Frank live on. This is the good news.

The good news in the garden is that the passion fruit vine is up and that the gooseberries are ripening. Calendulas raised from seeded have popped. The tomatoes have been potted, finally. The herbs--dill, basil, coriander--seem to be thriving although the snail population is growing by leaps and bounds and there are colonies of potato bugs in several of the container plantings. Beets, pumpkin and zucchini have sprouted and the snow peas are lush and green.

Amid positive horticultural happenings there is cause for trepidation. Bambi has made a day time appearance near the vegetable garden. It stood there eyeing its salad bar fearless brazenly. I take this to mean that the Bambi family--Mama, Papa Bambi and two bambini--has declared jihad on "them veggies." As a response, I have placed a statue of a remote relative of mine, David, the giant slayer, amid the greenery. This is meant as warning that we of the tribe of Judah love peace, but we also love our veggies. Whether David will deter depredation depends on how badly he wants to fight. He might have to take out her nuclear reactor. I hope it does not come to that. I would rather reach some sort of compromise. Hilary Clinton and Ban Ki Moon might want to help. The Dalai Lama might be persuaded to mediate. I am willing to let Bambi have some of the veggies. She cannot under any circumstances eat all of them as she did last year. I am not discussing expansion of settlements with her and that is that. I will let you know how this shakes out.

While the UN debates Bambi's declaration of war, I will be unpacking rose shipments from Nor'East Miniature Roses, Heirloom Roses and Rogue River Roses. I intend to plant them with clematis from Bluestone Perennials. In order to that I must reclaim a border that has been taken over by the fatal tree of heaven and other invasive entities. This is an enormous job, not easily accomplished in hot, humid weather when all one wishes to do is to lie languidly in a hammock with Colette's essays in hand and a tall glass of icy lemonade nearby.

NOTE: DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A SOURCE FOR SOUVENIR D'ANNE FRANK ROSES IN THE US? I WOULD LIKE TO DONATE ONE TO A PUBLIC GARDEN IN HONOR OF STEPHEN T. JOHNS.