prequel: a gardener’s tour of England (in winter)

In December 1988, years after my youthful UK trip in the mid 70s, I went back to the UK with my Leedsman spouse.  (Only financial woes and self-employment have kept me from being there more often; I’ve been an Anglophile since age 12.)

This time I was becoming an avid gardener and was determined to wrest every bit of garden that I could from the trip.  We had gone to see Chris’s family in Leeds at Christmastime, and the mild December did allow me some floriferous moments.

wheelbarrow at rest, Roundhay, Leeds

winter garden, Roundhay, Leeds

I was thrilled to see allotments (community gardens).

In Seattle, these would be called “P Patches”.

lanterns and windowboxes in York

ignore the text: This was in Richmond

Also cotoneaster, I think.

Oxford Botanic Garden

inside the Oxford glass house

Oxford scree garden in winter

Oxford Botanic Garden

Oxford Botanical Gardens

bedding out in December!

a garden tableau in Skipton

Roses were blooming in many gardens that mild December in northern England.  Later I turned the photo above into a Christmas card:

December rose

private gardens and park in London

 

My favourite photo of all the trip featured not a garden, but cut flowers in an old window in the perfect seaside town of Whitby, England.  This may be my favourite photo of any I have ever taken.
tulip window, Whitby
When we got back from our walk, the windowframe had been painted. I like it better this way for the photo.