P053

Passage 53 A Popular Pastime of the English People

One of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what they do with their non-working time.

Most English men, women and children love growing things, especially flowers. Visitors to England in spring, summer or autumn are likely to see gardens all the way along the railway lines. There are flowers at the airports and flowers in factory grounds, as well as in gardens along the roads. Each English town has at least one park with beautifully kept flower beds. Public buildings of every kind have brilliant window boxes and sometimes baskets of flowers are hanging on them. But what the English enjoy most is growing things themselves. If it is impossible to have a garden, then a window box or something growing in a pot will do. Looking at each other’s gardens is a popular pastime with the English.