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Bideford eh? We were down there two weeks ago for our annual greycation (this coinage refers to a vacation taken in the UK, traditionally noted for grey skies and drizzle / mizzle etc etc). We were unsure of how to conduct ourselves when a strange yellow glowing thing appeared in the sky, radiating heat. This had not happened for at least 5 years, certainly not for the duration. Beautiful bit of coast in those parts in my opinion, Hartlands being as ruggedly beautiful as any I've yet met.

My garden is about as good as you might hope for given I'm out of the house between 7am and 7pm most days and have far too many weekend engagements. The local insects, birds and squirrels, perhaps even foxes, and so forth seem to enjoy the perhaps slightly unkempt aspect adequately.

Sounds like a traditional English Garden to me, a little wild and untended, right, or dissembling disorder anyway?

Very funny about the "yellow glowing thing in the sky." That would be Bideford, a misty, sleepy place I've visited a couple of times now over the years, once with my family. Is it still "a place that time forgot," I wonder. Or Internet Cafes, etc?

Back across the pond, in today's N.Y. Times there's an article about a program by the City of Pasadena (near where I lived) in the drought-stricken South West to encourage home owners to trade their water-hungry lawns for xerophiles as a water conservation measure. Owners get a tax break, or some other benefit. But the point is gardens and lawns of the type I enjoyed are becoming a thing of the past because the water supply they rely on is drying up. Too often is seen "the yellow glowing thing in the sky," too seldom the dark rain cloud. But not in Bideford, I gather.

My yard is about 300 feet deep, 75 feet wide and there is
a creek on the very end. The back60 feet or so I've
let controlled growth take over, and there is an archway
into the area covered in sweet pea and passion fruit vine.
I have 3 oaks and about 30 spruce and pine in various
stages of growth and size. My back patio is always in the
sun and I have grapes on an arbor to shade it. Beyond the patio are multi types of perennial flowers, from tulips in the spring
along with hyacinth, to daisies, gallardia, geranium, begonia
in the summer and bee balm, coneflower, tiger lilies, butterfly
bushes currently. It is for me also a great place to take
a beverage and good book (I use the paper variety) and
relax in the shade.

Quite different from my usual mental image of the Land of Flat Water!

It is flat, believe it. And it is sandy, gradually rising in
level from the Missouri River toward the Rockies. And
you can see it and ears pop occasionally as you travel
West. But the land along the Mo River is very hilly and
tree covered. The width of this trees and hills is only, maybe
20 miles in width on both sides of the river. In Iowa
the area is covered by what are called the Loess Hills,
wind-blown land from north to south in a long strip.
Across from us is the town of Council Bluff, IA, named
for the hills, know locally as 'the bluffs': an area where
Indian tribes met for 'councils'. The UP railroad began
there when the town was called Kanesville. Pres. Lincoln
stood on the bluffs and, for the most part, chose where
the railroad was to go.
There are state parks all up and down the river on both
sides from So. Dakota down through Missouri, but chiefly
the border the River. It is quite hilly, here, actually, making
biking troublesome, but get out of town 20 miles and
the land of the flat water takes over. In some spots
this year, one can walk across the Platte on dry ground
jumping over small trickles hither and thither.

So far, everyone's been talking about how wonderful and pleasant their gardens are. Perhaps a trip to Alnwick Garden is in order.

Links to other Atlas Obscura gardens after the last picture.

Thanks, Slava. My, my, what will the Sunday Schoolers think?

Also in the darker recesses of gardens, The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_G ... lution.jpg

P.S. Is The Little Shop of Horrors located in Alnwick's Poison Gardens?

Luke: You probably know that Council Bluff is now where Offutt Air Force Base airmen go for "fun". I worked at Offutt once, but was to timid to cross the river.

Yes, I know about CB and it's attractions, which are
pretty much limited now. I don't like the place.
Casinos are now the big attraction there and since
gambling is taboo in this state you can imagine how
many of the cars in their parking lots are from this
side of the river. Nice to know you were at Offutt,
however.