Sisterhood of the Travelling Plants

Two sisters out for some fun and frivolity on a whirlwind tour of England and its Gardens. 13 glorious gardens in 13 days. How could this be possible? Well, it took alot of careful planning by experienced staff from Purdue University and the Purdue Extension Master Gardener Program. Hotel rooms were booked, coach transportation with charming driver was arranged, restaurants were warned, gardens were scouted out, good weather was prayed for, patience was stored up, and a sense of humor was brought along by two very organized instructors responsible for shepherding 26 individuals of varying levels of punctuality and attention span from Wiltshire to Kent, Wales to Somerset, and East Anglia to Suffolk. No one was left behind in a garden, no one had to use the emergencies only loo on the coach, and the only injuries suffered were from a biting wasp, some vicious blackberry brambles, a wonky staircase, and one very low Tudor era door frame. At the end of the trip participants still seemed able to laugh even as the airlines did their best to keep them from leaving the UK on time and in good spirits.


While we catch up with laundry, jet lag, weeding, and photo editing enjoy some views of and from our first stop, The Bear Hotel, in Devizes, Wiltshire, UK.










Devizes market square with backdrop of the Bear Hotel was a scene setting in the 1967 film Far from the Madding Crowd starring Julie Christie.