Trinity Hall

Grocery shopping is a daily activity since even though the number of items I need to purchase is small, their weight in my backpack is not insignificant.  The time required for  shopping is minimal so I usually meander through the town first before going to Sainsburys.  Last Friday the door to Trinity Hall (not to be confused with Trinity College, the biggest college and the one founded by Henry VIII) was open so I walked in.  A porter--or gatekeeper--is always nearby and I waited to ask--politely!--to visit but since he ignored me, I made my way to the door.  He certainly did not ignore me then but barked something that caught my attention.  I told him what I wanted to do and he cautioned me to stay on the footpaths.

Trinity Hall is one of the oldest and smallest colleges here in Cambridge.  It was founded in 1350 to train clergy after so many had died in the Black Plague. Like many of the colleges, the plain outside walls give no hint about the beauty of the courtyards inside.  One of the gardeners had been cutting the (perfect, green) lawn and I asked him about the flower beds.

The colors were extremely bright and this bed in particular caught my eye since it looked like sneezeweed had been planted there.  Other common flowers are sedum and verbena bonariensis--only it seems better behaved here and does not spread all over.

The gardner (much friendlier than the porter) said the flower beds can continue to look lovely until about mid-November.