Remembering Passchendaele: A Journey Through Belgium’s WWI Battlefields

March 26, 2025
Larry Hurley
Inspiration, Landscaping, Public Gardens
0 Comments

Tyne Cot Military Cemetery, near Passchendaele — Tyne Cot Cemetery; British Commonwealth WWI Military Cemetery; Passendale, Belgium; Roses

These photos were taken on June 22, 2009, when my wife and I were on vacation in western Belgium (the western part of the Flanders region). We spent several days learning about World War I by visiting some of the towns and battlefields along the Western Front. The trench line passed through the corner of Belgium and saw some of the most devastating extended battles of the War. The Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, ran for about 100 days in 1917, with British Commonwealth troops fighting German troops on a muddy, treeless battlefield. The Germans suffered 220,000 casualties, while the British suffered 275,000, including 38,000 Australians, 5,300 New Zealanders, and 15,600 Canadians.

There are many military cemeteries in the area, and a beautiful one is called Tyne Cot, near Passchendaele. It is for British Commonwealth soldiers. It has about 12,000 graves, over 8,000 of which were for unidentified soldiers. The grounds are extensively planted with roses and perennials, with many of the gravesites hosting a perennial planting. It’s both moving and beautiful to visit. One could easily spend a couple of weeks touring Belgium, and western Flanders should definitely be on the itinerary.

Tyne Cot Military Cemetery, Grave Plantings

Larry Hurley

Larry Hurley worked at Behnke Nurseries from 1984 until the business was composted in 2019, primarily with the perennial department in growing, buying and sales.

Before landing at Behnke’s, he worked as a technician in a tissue culture lab, a houseplant “expert” at a florist shop, and inventory controller at a wholesale nursery in Dallas. With this and that, ten years passed.

When his wife Carolyn accepted a position at Georgetown University, Larry was hired at Behnke’s for the perennial growing department and garden center at Behnke’s Largo location.

In 2021, Larry and Carolyn moved back to Wisconsin to be closer to family and further from traffic. After 37 years in a shaded yard in Maryland, he is happy to have a sunny lot where he can grow all sorts of new perennials, if only he can keep the rabbits at bay. He also enjoys cooking, traveling, and the snowblower.