A US woman who relocated from Florida to London has been left astonished by one particular feature of life in the UK. Melissa Mendez, who shares her UK experiences on TikTok, said she had not been prepared for her new surroundings. “I’m going to get a lot of hate for this, but one of the things I had no idea about when moving from Florida to London is how green England is,” she said in a video.
Melissa, who had never visited England before, had spent her entire school life at “The British School” studying British history and culture, but had never been taught “how green” the country is. “Now I’m into gardening and I am just in shock at how beautiful things grow here,” she said. “Everything is just so easy to plant and it actually grows. In Florida, nothing grows unless it’s a local plant, herb or tree.”
She went on to explain that the weather in Florida is very “unforgiving” compared to that in England. “It’s hot, but rainy and sometimes windy, so it’s really harsh conditions for beautiful flowers and trees to grow,” she said. “I remember back in Florida I would always dream of having a garden. This has been my dream for so long.”
She said that in Florida she had become “so annoyed” whenever she bought flowers as they would “soon die,” but now she is able to maintain her own “unbelievable” garden. “I can’t believe I now have a green thumb,” she said.
Her comments were met with a flood of responses from Brits who offered recommendations on where to experience England’s “green and pleasant land.” “Please visit the north,” one TikTok user urged. “North of England has so many lovely countryside areas. The Lake District is beautiful.”
A second person suggested: “Go to Savernake Forest. Some of the oldest English oaks in the country are there. It’s a really mystical place.”
A third added: “You need to visit Cumbria. The greens will amaze you. Also, you need to experience a cloud inversion. Imagine sitting on the top of a mountain early in the morning, with clouds below and looking across at mountain tops poking through.”
A fourth TikTok user advised: “You should visit Sherwood Forest. I live on the edge of it. The density of the trees and landscape is so massive.”
A fifth noted: “This is why gardening is a national obsession and has been for hundreds of years. It’s easy to grow beautiful, soft and flowy plants and create a little oasis of your own.”
