NOVEMBER IN THE GARDEN

I am so behind with posting and catching up on other blogs but I decided to post a few photos of the garden last week. Of course this was a cheat bought from the local street market but a welcome sight by the front door.

These hardy Fuschia come into their own at this time of year all grown from cuttings from a friends garden in Newquay.

Nicola's Blush Hebe a cutting from a neighbours bush it is a very worth while Hebe to grow. All the Hebes I have tried have taken well from cuttings.

Winter Jasmine already putting on a good show.

In the back garden Fairy Rose again taken successfully from cuttings.

I finally removed the Dahlias last week and I was pleased that the ground elder was not as bad as I had expected. Pity I didn't sweep up after myself but nice to see soil without ground elder here.

Whilst I dug, these little beauties smiled down on me. Vitecella Vernosa Violecea quite dainty clematis but so worth growing where you can enjoy their lovely faces.

One last bloom of Edward Elgar. Sadly the perfume is lost in the cooler weather.

I even had a tidy up along this wall which is something I rarely get round to doing. The ferns are still looking nice.

Hermosa has bloomed since May so well worth growing although the stems can be a little weak.

I was so pleased to see so many flowers on the Arbutus Uneo because I lost one plant and this it's replacement looked as if I might lose as well earlier in the year.

The leeks are doing well and ready to eat.

What a different view at this time of year. I replaced many of the Lavender on one side of the garden and have pruned very hard back with others. If the pruned ones do not survive because I don't think Lavender enjoys such hard pruning, I have got several cuttings in pots which can be used to replace them.

As you can see I have had fun loading larger photos and putting my name on them. As if anyone would be interested in pinching them Hah! I think I was like a child with a paint box and made the names too colourful. Must follow Tatyana's advice and choose more discrete colours.

The reason I have not blogged so much recently is because there has been lots to read and e mails to send regarding my other interest. Yes you guessed following developments with Lyme Disease. The news about XMRV retrovirus is also fascinating to read. Many people with ME/CFS diagnosis are found to have Lyme and there are so many parallels with the two illnesses and the politics that surrounds them.

So rather than compromise this blog I started another one Looking at Lyme there is a link on my side bar. I will use this new blog to post anything that catches my eye, of which there is so much. It will also make a suitable place for me to retrieve information quickly.

I am more than happy if anyone chooses to visit and by all means add your comments.

THANKS TO BLOGGING FRIENDS

I have many things to thank my blogging friends for.

Karen An Artist's Garden for introducing me to blotanical.

Many of you for hint's on photography and advice on copy and pasting links.

Now I would like to thank Tatyana of My Secret Garden for her interesting and useful post on Make it tougher for thieves. I have figured out how to put my name on photos, I used my Canon Digital Photo Professional thanks also to Daughter Rebecca's help recently. I will be playing around to fine tune one wet winter's day.

Last but by no means least thanks to Catherine from A Gardener in Progress for her useful advice on posting larger pictures. I have long enjoyed and admired her lovely photos.

So my first attempt is of a November rose Rosemoor, such a delicate shade of pink and delicate petals with a strong old rose fragrance.

THE WILD WOODS

Across from where we live is a small copse, at the entrance is a lovely Oak tree which was planted in Remembrance of the men who died in the Ist World War. The tree doesn't seem as if it could be 90 years old but that is what the plaque says.

This copse has only developed since the second World War, at that time it was open ground. There is still a concrete slab amongst the undergrowth that I am told was used for a gun mounting. The gun would have been used for protecting the railway route nearbye into London.

Hard to imagine that history when walking through these trees.

Across a road from the copse and down the track into the Wild Woods as my daughters used to call it when they were small.

This area was a lake and I have seen old photos showing a boat house and boat moored at the far side.

I suspect the building of the housing estate that borders this wood would have diverted drainage thus causing the area to dry up.

Beth leads the way.

You can hear her saying why are you lagging behind as I stop to take photos.

The Holly trees are full of berries at present so plenty of food for the birds.

This wood hasn't been managed for many years it was once coppiced.

There are many fallen and damaged trees which is sad but adds to the character of the place.

Beyond this fallen tree was and old track way which has become so overgrown.

A slightly better view with the field on the right and another behind the trees on the left leaving the track in a dip. It is some time since I tried walking along it and the far end is not penetrable which is such a shame. It could be opened up to the road and would make such a lovely walk.

This is much further over in the woods by the railway line.

You have to love these roots and with feet like that the head in the sky is hardly a surprise.

Looking back is the boundary into the fields and from that point views across to Clandon House.

I have spent half the afternoon playing with Picasa trying to load slightly larger photos by URL but without success. I so admire the slightly larger size seen on many other blogs. So guess I need to try again one winters day. However I am pleased that I was able to take all the photos using Manual setting so at least I am beginning to learn something with my camera.

MEME/ 100th POST /GURU

This is my 100th post I have just become a Guru on Blotanical, all it took was lots of pleasure in looking at so many wonderful garden blogs around the World. Many thanks to Stuart at Blotanical for providing this opportunity.

I decided for this post to do a Meme. I have been tagged by Missy M of Missy Wayne's Backyard, Happy Mouffetard of The Inelegant Gardener, VP from Veg Plotting, Maureen from Allotment Heaven and Bangchick of My Little Vegetable Garden during the last few months and just haven't got round to taking up their tags so here goes.

Seven things about me, it was fun looking through photo albums for old photos.


1. The above photo of me as a child must be where my love of gardening was born. My maternal Grandfather was a photographer for the local paper in his spare time. This was his early attempts with colour photography in about 1953.

2. Here I am with my two elder brothers at Bolton Sailing club where my parents spent most Sundays racing, while we ran wild in the woods. As children we didn't get much opportunity to actually sail but in my early 20's whilst living in Torquay I joined a sailing club. I went with some friends in a yacht and entered the Tobermorray Race from the Clyde a three day race to the Isle of Arran and also with a group from work we hired a yacht and sailed from Teignmouth across to Aldernay, Guernsey and then back into Dartmouth both were memorable trips.

3. This Standard Little Nine dated 1932 was my first car it was such fun to drive around Wimbledon where I was working in the 1970's.

My first husband was keen on old cars and this Wolseley Hornet, Eustace Watkins Special 1935 was stripped completely and rebuilt by him with dogsbody getting the menial jobs. Although I dismantled the upholstery and re upholstered the interior. Quite a good job if I might say myself.

Eventually I also had a stab at the tonneau and hood which were particularly challenging without old ones to take a pattern from.

This MG PA 1934 was my last car I had whilst married to my first husband sadly after we split up it was not practical for me to hang onto the lovely car.

3. Some years later I met and married Mike and have been so lucky to be married to such a lovely man. These are our two daughters now grown up and nearly 30, where have all those years gone. I am not allowed to put family photos on my blog but hope they don't mind me using this one. They are both lovely girls and I am proud of them. Both have continued in their individual ways with my love of gardening as seen in an earlier post Nature or Nurture.

4. Being a none working mum with time and shortage of money I started to make soft toys, although it didn't provide me with an income because selling is not me, it was fun and provided presents and raffle prizes for schools and charities.

These Hippos were so the children could sit astride, my favourite toys were lions large enough to sit on and I am sorry I never took a photo of them.

5. When the children started school I took on an allotment but when I returned to work part time it was easier to grow vegetables in the garden and give up the allotment. A much younger and thinner me without the grey hair.

My success with the car upholstery led me to try my hand at furniture re upholstery and this is a chair I recovered, with Beth as a puppy misbehaving as only Springer Spaniels know how.

Another of my projects was this Victorian Day bed. not an easy task it had 94 buttons to sew in.

A lot of thought has gone into who to pass the meme onto so I do hope you pop over and look at their blogs. There are so many I could have chosen not just the many on my blog roll but so many more on Blotanical.

Firstly I nominate Kiki Awake with Charm and Spirit because I found her photography outstanding and her poems/prose lovely. I found a kindred spirit in her love of trees.

Secondly I nominate Rob of Our French Garden in the beautiful Dordogne because I love following his garden.

Thirdly I nominate Rosthchild Orchid Wisteria and Cow Parsley I am so enjoying her blog and look forward to seeing her develop her rambling and overgrown small holding. Her words not mine.

Fourthly Charlotte of The Galloping Gardener which I love to follow but because of her work in India with The Raven Foundation.

Esther of Esther's Boring Garden blog recently did a meme and chose blogs that were not gardening blogs so thanks to her for her idea which I will copy and have therefore chosen.

Fifthly Renee of Renee's Reflections Her and her husband struggle with chronic ill health because of Lyme Disease and the medical system.

Sixthly Laurel from Dreams at Stake for her courage at fighting her many chronic health problems including Lyme and ME/CFS. Her efforts recently in producing a video testimony are to be commended and I hope you take time to watch her video.

Last but not least number seven I choose Jo of Jo Blogs struggling with ME/CFS lets hope the recent news over XMRV retrovirus helps so many such chronically ill people.

This last one is not a tag because I do not think it quite appropriate but I would like you to pause and look at Lewis Jeynes struggles over the last nearly four years. He has finally been diagnosed with a cause for his deteriorating chronic ill health, Lyme Disease and is being treated privately on oral antibiotics he is improving and has gained some control of his head . Still the NHS shake their heads and will not treat him on the stronger antibiotics he needs because they follow the IDSA discredited Guidelines.

Next time you meet someone who dismisses Lyme and/or ME/CFS as rare and easy to cure please remember that for many of us that is not the case.

NERINES AND LIQUIDAMBER

I love Nerines and have struggled for years with them in the garden although several neighbours have wonderful displays in their gardens. I have one flower in my garden.

I started to grew some in large white buckets so that I could place on the doorstep. They are in a gritty compost which they like and I can keep the frost off their flowers by the protection of the front porch. This worked well except they needed re potting and the buckets were too big and heavy to keep moving.

This spring I repotted them and ended up with a bench full of pots. I think I let them get too dry early in the year and due to lack of space they stayed in the greenhouse all summer. This year I have so few flowers on them I do hope they do better next year.

The Agapanthus and lillies are stored in the greenhouse during the winter but at present the greenhouse is full of geranium and other plants that need to be in a frost free place ie. the porch which is currently being re roofed.

Hiding amongst the Amelanchier is a Liquidamber that I have relocated. I need to nurture it for now until it is properly established. I am hoping it will fill a gap that has developed and balance this corner out better.

A couple of years ago I planted up either side of the fence with a view to more height and so making the top bit of the garden more enclosed and hiding the view out over the estate behind. The Hoheria grew larger than I had realised and flopped over and around the Liquidamber so I decided to move the Liquidamber I always knew it was not in a good position as it grows into such a large tree although not in my life time.

I have a cutting from Crimson Shower Rambling Rose which will benefit now with more space and the seat on the left covered in ivy will not be submerged by the Liquidamber.

MERROW

St John's Church Merrow dating back to the 12th Century.

The Horse and Groom dates back to the 15th century.

The church and the pub stand sentinel at the cross roads in Merrow either side of Trodds Lane which goes via Newlands Corner over the Downs to Dorking. It was once the main road.

The road East to West at this junction goes from Guildford to Epsom hence named the Epsom Road.

Garden Cottage is directly opposite the Horse and Groom. It was once used as the school house.

Taken from a 1934 map with revisions 1938. Showing Merrow Downs.

At one time there was a race course on this side of the Downs between 1701 to 1870 and to the West of the Downs there was a prison of war camp during the last war 1941 to 1942.

Directly opposite the Church and at the top of Merrow Street is an area of allotment gardens. Merrow Street was the main road from the Downs to the main London Road now replaced in part by the A3.

Proceeding down Merrow Street this is the entrance to The Cedars.

Merrow House was once the home of Miss Thrupp. Her father was Rector of St John's Church. The Thrupp family owned most of the land either side of Merrow Street and lower down what is now known as Old Merrow Street. The original road being dissected by a road into a housing estate.

Merrow House is now split into flats and part of the Sunset homes. There are other modern flats too built in the grounds next to the house.

Merrow House Cottage

Evergreen Cottage

1 &2 Appletree Cottages

Michaelmas Cottage

Spring Cottages on the right with a new development mirroring Spring cottages, Wentworth Cottage and Orchard Cottage

Coxhall

1 Coxhall Cottages

2 Coxhall Cottages

Looking back up Merrow Street the hedge on the right of the photo is the boundary of Bushy Hill School. On the left is Rectory Close leading into a group of houses built in the grounds and on the site of the old rectory.

This was an old drovers way and bounds the school hedge.

This development was on land that belonged to Bushy School, now called Merrow Place the houses have been built to replicate much of the character of the older houses.

There was strong opposition over loosing the character of Merrow Street and this hedge, hence these houses Hawthorn Place were tucked away behind the hedge.

Looking down Merrow Street.

Treetower House

Merrow Infants School a church school. Miss Thrupp was responsible for the building of this school to replace the little one opposite the Horse and Groom. It was extended in 1901 about the time some of the houses were built.

Yew Tree cottages

1 &2 Salisbury Cottages

This is the style of several of the houses built around 1900 as farm labourers cottages and many of them were named after the Africa Wars.

1 &2 Garnet Cottages

A section of map updated since the Merrow Park development which started early 1980's. The church is at the bottom right at the junction and at the top of the map Merrow Street ends in a cul de sac where Kingfisher Drive crosses into the estate.

Across Kingfisher Drive into the next section of the old road this is now known as Old Merrow Street.

Great Goodwin Farmhouse

1 Alma Cottages

2 Alma Cottages

1 Peace Cottages with its majestic chimneys. There was previously a building on this site which was the old bake house. When it was demolished the bricks were reused in building these.

2,3 &4 Peace Cottages originally three cottages they have been sympathetically extended on the left to make a larger cottage and on the right to build a fourth cottage.

Pound cottage. The Pound was once in the garden and this is where stray animals would be brought. Pound Cottage was at one time used as the Laundry.

1 Orange Cottages

2 Orange Cottages

1 Gateside Cottages

2 Gateside Cottages

This is the next section of the map showing where Kingfisher Drive crosses at the bottom and the railway in the top corner. The bottom of old Merrow Street is also now a cul de sac and the new road replaces this lane.

At the top right this side of the railway is where the old brick works used to be. The bricks from there were used for building many of the cottages.

Of course there are several other modern houses scattered in amongst these old cottages.

More information on Merrow can be found through visiting Merrow Residents Association website.

AUTUMN FLOWERS

The flowers in the garden are still providing an interesting show.

I planted out Delphinium I had grown from seed not expecting it to flower until next year but was delighted to see they have added to the Autumn colour.

I moved the pots of Dahlia from the centre bed to this bed next to the wall. I needed to use the space to plant out Wallflowers and the Dahlia were not ready to be stored for the winter just yet.

I have always found growing Delphinium from seed rewarding but they do not do well in my mixed borders as they need attention to keep slugs and snails off their tender shoots so I try whenever possible to give them a bed of their own. This is not easy in my garden too many plants. This bed by the wall although it has several large shrubs and roses is ok because I can still watch over the Delphinium plants and they do look lovely flowering there both from the front window and from the road. Cheers up many a passer bye's face when they see a riot of flowers.

This was a straggler Fuschia from last year but such a delightful flower. I am not good at keeping non hardy fuschia year to year they get so woody and never produce nice shaped plants. Yet another skill to develop.

The grapes still looking great and the birds are enjoying the feast.

The Acer looking ok although a bit dry round the edges of the leaves from lack of water.

Couldn't resist posting this. Still several Morning Glory popping up daily.

Arbutus Uneo with still one or two fruit looking attractive now they are deep red with the Fuschia peeping through the fence. I am rather pleased the Arbutus is surviving, when it lost so many leaves early in the year I started to worry, but it looks happy enough now.

Cercis Canadensis Forest Pansy is also looking happy so I am pleased with this too.

Amelanchier a must for any garden that can accommodate a small tree. White blossom in the spring followed by red berries that encourage the birds to feed and then this lovely autumn colour which will be followed by the Acer's colour soon.

Not as colourful as earlier in the year a little sad really that summer is behind us.

A few more Dahlia that filled a bed in the back after I had attacked the ground elder.

This was early evening sun going down on the right of the picture which is why the garden isn't so well lit.

Late sun through Amelanchier.

Another Fuschia left over from last years hanging baskets.

Hydrangea with it's Autumn colours.

Hypericum I think Elstead, the berries look better than the flowers do.