This Green And Pleasant Land.

By Jabo
@jaboUK (64354)
United Kingdom
March 30, 2016 8:31am CST
Having arrived back in England from Spain yesterday, I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised. It's Springtime!! Everything is so green and there are blooms and blossoms everywhere. We do like to get away to sunnier climes in the winter, but English weather is actually not as bad as it's reputed to be. People seem to have the perception that it rains all the time here, but in reality London has less rainfall than New York, Rome or Sydney. I think it seems to be greater because it's spread out over more days. It rains on an average of 140 days a year here, and rain in August is only a little less than we receive in January. Our climate is equable, with average temperatures of 45F in January and 66F in July, so you see that we don't get extremes. We don't normally have to worry about drought, hurricanes or tornadoes. So if you fancy visiting England don't let the thought of bad weather put you off. It really is a green and pleasant land. ------------------------ Photo - me working last summer in my garden which was full of vibrant colours because of our climate.
63 people like this
72 responses
@LadyDuck (472078)
• Switzerland
30 Mar 16
Your garden is beautiful Janet. I never had rain in Rome and not even in London, while I can be sure to have rain every time that I visit Paris.
6 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@LadyDuck Thanks Anna, I spend a lot of time in the garden in the summer. I've been in Paris in the rain too
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (472078)
• Switzerland
30 Mar 16
@jaboUK I think that it always rains in Paris, a lot!
2 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
30 Mar 16
your garden is just beautiful and I would love to visi England had I enough funds. It is indeed a green and pleasant land
4 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@Hatley Thanks Patsie, it would be lovely if you could pay me a visit
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
30 Mar 16
You forgot to advise visitors to bring an umbrella.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
30 Mar 16
@jaboUK Sunday in Manchester was ridiculous. Late afternoon we had a torrential hailstorm.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@Asylum Oh dear - I must admit that I was expecting bad weather because of the reports, but it's a beautiful day today in my part of England.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@Asylum Well, I'm extolling the virtues, not dwelling on the negatives. And anyway there are more days when it doesn't rain than when it does (except if you live in Manchester!)
2 people like this
• United States
30 Mar 16
Your garden is absolutely beautiful! It puts mine to shame. Hoping that my garden does better this year. I plan on putting in a lot of annuals this year. Started my zinnias yesterday.
2 people like this
• United States
31 Mar 16
@jaboUK we have quite a wait before we can plant anything without fear of frost.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@ElusiveButterfly The photo was taken in the summer - the garden is bare at the moment. My flowers are all annuals too, but I won't be planting anything for a few weeks yet.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 16
@ElusiveButterfly Yes - it's no good planting then losing everything to the frost.
2 people like this
@gudheart (12659)
30 Mar 16
LOL I live in the UK and it can be nice now and again. Although the rain and cloudy weather can put a damper on things.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@gudheart I wrote this because someone in Spain said that they thought it rained every day here. Grossly exaggerated!
1 person likes this
@gudheart (12659)
31 Mar 16
@jaboUK LOL in my area not far from the truth!!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247184)
• United States
30 Mar 16
I've loved our visits to England, especially to the countryside. I only experienced one rainy day there. It is a beautiful green country!
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@DianneN I'm glad that you can endorse what I've said Dianne - thanks.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (137822)
• India
31 Mar 16
Here I am, back just to look at your photo. You have been away for so long and your garden still looks so pretty and well maintained. Look at those flowers, vying with each other. Just an observation though. My orthopedic doctor says never to bend like the way you have but to sit on a stool and do gardening. Are you OK with it?
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 16
@allknowing Sorry to mislead you Grace, but the photo was taken in the summer. I haven't even started planting yet. It will look like that again, but not just yet. Yes I'm ok working like that though I do use a stool sometimes. My back is ok, but the hips aren't so good.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (137822)
• India
31 Mar 16
@jaboUK Just waiting to see your garden when it;s all done up again.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 16
@allknowing It will take a couple of months, maybe more.
1 person likes this
• China
31 Mar 16
England seems to have a benign climate .Before now it came across as a foggy place to me .Maybe it is due to the novel ,Over here the name of this book was thrown into Chinese meaning.
1 person likes this
• China
1 Apr 16
@jaboUK Sorry ,my response above was not the same as I wrote then .It should be :England seems to have a benign climate .Before now it came across as a foggy place to me .Maybe it is due to the novel ,Over here the name of this book was thrown into Chinese meaning.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
1 Apr 16
@changjiangzhibin89 Thank you for clarifying that - I knew you were referring to a book, but wasn't sure which one.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 16
@changjiangzhibin89 We do get fog, but not to any great extent.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112983)
• El Paso, Texas
1 Apr 16
Wow, I had no idea the UK was so mild. I do know how green it is there, all the shows I've seen on BBC has the most beautiful green landscapes in them. I did think it rained a lot more there. I love the photo of your garden, it's absolutely beautiful.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112983)
• El Paso, Texas
1 Apr 16
Your garden is amazing @jaboUK I'd love to live somewhere where plants thrived like that .... but I also love the hot summers like those we get here.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
1 Apr 16
@rebelann I wouldn't like the really hot teperatures that you get.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
1 Apr 16
@rebelann Yes it's reasonably mild here - we neither get too cold nor too hot, which is good for gardens. Glad you liked the photo, thanks.
1 person likes this
@yalul070 (1713)
• Manila, Philippines
31 Mar 16
Actually, that's true. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about London is the cold, gray (not really dark, but certainly not sunny) weather. I wonder where that had come from.
1 person likes this
@yalul070 (1713)
• Manila, Philippines
1 Apr 16
@jaboUK must be in the novels that i read and the movies i watched that were set in London
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
1 Apr 16
@yalul070 I don't actually live in London - I'm 70 miles away.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 16
@yalul070 I'm not saying that it's never cold and gray - just not as often as people seem to think
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
31 Mar 16
You have a very beautiful garden - I am sure it will bloom just as fabulous this year
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 16
@Inlemay Thanks Lany - yes I'll have it looking nice again, but not for a couple of months yet.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
1 Apr 16
@Inlemay I'm surprised that you are planting at this time of year - will they grow through your winter?
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
1 Apr 16
@jaboUK I have planted some winter flowers - pansies and african daises which i hope give my dreary winter garden some colour
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Mar 16
Some of my ancestors came from there. You have lots of cloudy days. Here there are many sunny days. We do have drought, but it's a desert after all. I do really like your green (and your garden), but prefer sunshine.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@ElizabethWallace We do get sunshine - just not as much as you!
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Mar 16
@jaboUK Of course you do, otherwise you would not have such lovely flowers. But I think you get as much as Seattle, where people suffer from SAD.
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
30 Mar 16
Oh Wow! Your garden is a florist's paradise. All those beautiful and colorful flowers are spread and distributed among each other beautifully. Did you deliberately planted them that way or they just took place on their own? And cold weather or not, I wish to visit The British museum someday. That is on my one of the must visit places list. And welcome back home!!
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@Daljinder Lol - no, the flowers don't just grow on their own! I plant them that way. I hope you get to come here one day, there's lots more to see beside the British Museum. Thanks for the welcome back.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@Daljinder I do spend a lot of time in the garden in the summer.
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
30 Mar 16
@jaboUK It would have taken time. I mean the lower level flowers are so evenly mixed up like a bouquet.
1 person likes this
@gofsey (1911)
• Madurai, India
30 Mar 16
That is a lovely garden, it has so many different flowers.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@gofsey Gardening is a great hobby, I really enjoy it.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@gofsey Yes lots of things grow really well. Of course things that want a tropical climate don't like it here!
1 person likes this
@gofsey (1911)
• Madurai, India
30 Mar 16
@jaboUK You are blessed to have such lovely climate. Must be able to grow just about anything I guess.
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
12 Apr 16
If ever I decide to take a cruise to Norway and the Arctic, I will have to land in London to take the cruise! However, the thought of the long-haul direct flight is enough to kill my desire.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
13 Apr 16
@jaboUK Your last paragraph about "if you fancy visiting England". Though I fancy visiting England, the long flight hour is killing.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
13 Apr 16
@scheng1 Oh right - we were talking about cruising on another post weren't we? Yes, it's a long way for you.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
12 Apr 16
@scheng1 I can understand that, and the flight would add a lot of expense too. (Why do you mention this on this post? Just wondering).
1 person likes this
@much2say (56087)
• Los Angeles, California
30 Mar 16
Wow, I love all those colors in your garden - spring has certainly sprung into action there! I wouldn't mind the rain - since we don't get much here anymore! With the drought, many have turned to drought tolerant plants and gravel gardens out here - not as much coloring as there used to be.
1 person likes this
@much2say (56087)
• Los Angeles, California
31 Mar 16
@jaboUK There used to be so much rain here when I was a kid - it's so different now. I guess we've learned to live with the changes as we are still here . . . but still some more rain would be nice. I guess it would be best to go visit your place when it's summer !
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 16
@much2say Yes, summer would be best - you've more chance of some sunshine then.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@much2say This photo was taken in the summer - it doesn't look like that at the moment. It will again, but not just yet. I'd hate to live where there wasn't a decent amount of rain.
1 person likes this
@besweet (9859)
• Ireland
30 Mar 16
I think the rain is not as strong as storms in Spain for example, but it can rain lighlty for days that's why people have this impression for England! I miss the springtime in your country, there are so many amazing parks to visit!
1 person likes this
@besweet (9859)
• Ireland
30 Mar 16
@jaboUK It was the most beautiful spring I've ever seen in my travelling. Also, I believe it is the best weather of the year (even when compared to summertime) in my opinion!
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@besweet It was Browning who wrote " Oh to be in England now that April's here", and he was right. Spring can be a magical time here.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@besweet I love the promise of Spring, but summer is when my flowers are at their best.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (51407)
• Canada
30 Mar 16
Your garden is so amazing, I love the vibrant colours and the layout of it.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (51407)
• Canada
30 Mar 16
@jaboUK What is your most favorite plant in the garden?
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@Juliaacv The French marigolds are great in the borders, but for baskets and pots my favourites are begonias.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 16
@Juliaacv Thank you, I'm delighted that you appreciate my garden.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
31 Mar 16
Where we live in Canada, we are affects by the lakes. It keeps the temperatures more moderate in the winter, although we get more snow. The change of seasons keeps things interesting.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt I'd love to visit your country one day, especially the lakes.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt You are so sweet
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
31 Mar 16
@jaboUK my door is open. I'm sure I can even rustle up some accomodation.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
2 Apr 16
oh My goodness, you have so beautiful flowers to show (off) my friend. I am so happy you post this colorful picture of your lawn. I would also prefer to see you upright and your face smiling with glee. Beautiful garden of flowers.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
2 Apr 16
@ridingbet Thank you Ingrid - I'm happy that you like my flowers. My daughter took this - I didn't know she was doing it.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
2 Apr 16
@ridingbet Yes, i can still do that
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
2 Apr 16
and you can still bend that low with straight legs, my friend @jaboUK? I cannot do that if I exercise; I mean, I cannot bend over, I always flex my legs.
1 person likes this