While waiting for the Magnolias in my garden

Popping by a florist on my way home the other day, I came across these boring twigs in a bucket. But I did recognize the big buds, and run home with a big branch!
After som houres in water and a fresh cut the lower buds started to open.

I now walk over to admire and enjoy it at least five times a day!

Hiking in the Surrey Hills

While waiting for my next hike!
 

The first snow has finally arrived!

My dog Bilbo and me got out to enjoy the first snow!
We where getting a bit nervous that this christmas would be grey, but it seems promising tonight!

My new blue potting shed

YES, finally! Only one more go on painting the floor and my Potting shed will be finished!
Its very blue, but I am just so sick and tired of white.
Our whole house is nothing but white, so finally some color!

So in a week or two a bench will find its way in here.
Walls covered in tools, shelves and some memories.
The bench should give us plenty of space for potting, waxing skies, fixing windows
and making bird boxes!

This keychain called out to me at the Shere Shop when I was there a couple of weeks ago!

Just one more layer of paint on the floor, and we are good to go!

I have actually grown quite fond of this blue. Its a bit lighter than this picture shows. But still, real blue!

Still warm autumn days

We are now in November. Its quite different from last year, then the snow was pouring down.
Now we walk around in a warm sweater and tending the borders as if it still was august.

Well most of the flowers know it is not August anymore. They are preforming quite badly, but still… performing.

My Chamomile plants is giving me tea for all winter. It also supplies me with aphids which I am not that happy about.

 

I cut down my Ruccola plants a month ago, thinking that the season was over, and now I can pick some more!

This Sweatpea is my biggest success this summer was this Tangier Pea. I love it! It has been flowering all summer, and is actually the only flower still going strong.

 

The salad in the greenhouse is ready to be picked.

 

My pots is clean and ready for new wonders this winter!

Pictures from my hiking in Surrey

 

See all my pictures here >

A wonderful day in the Surrey Hills

So this has been such a great day. A bit struggeling start with no train from Gatwick to Guildford. Used a lot of money on a taxi instead.

I got to Shere at the time I was supposed to pop up at the B&B and god my bag into my room, cup of tea before heading out, hikingboots on!

With rain all day my jacket finally gave up and made me look and feel like a wet cat. But no worries, it did not spoil anything. Well not all true cause my camera got all foggy in protest to all the water flying by. This may have ruined som if not all my photos, but I did save all of it in my head!

I do love the sound of the birds in the hedges, the rabbits bumping away from my path and all the wonderful autumn colors!

Now sitting at the pub with rosy cheeks and a big glass of red wine, i feel really satisfied.
But then my conference up in London tomorrow comes into mind, and I get really freaked out! Nerves is a silly thing!!

Glowing birch

When in Surrey??

The view from the window of the wonderful B&B The Rookery Nook in Shere, Surrey, UK

Yes I am finally going back to wonderful Surrey, UK.
My favorite little village Shere will host me a small little day and a night.
I am holding workshops on a conference in London Monday the 31st of October. SO, my work/firm will pay for the flight, the food, the B&B and the train. Brilliant!
And I (lucky me) will have from noon to nightfall on this upcoming Sunday to go and do some of my favorite things to do in Surrey.

But with only half a day to my disposal, what do I choose?
I am in deep need of relaxation as my workdays are way too busy. I actually just finished one…. on a sunday….

So these are my alternatives:

1. Hike (Ramble I thing it is called?) from Shere to Peaslake
I have done this hike before and love it. Its not far, and it will bring me trough forests, over fields and past lovely big and small houses and cottages. And a few pubs The luncheon at Hurtwood Inn is delich!! This will be a peaceful day!

Walking to Peaslake last December

2. A few hours at RHS Wisley Gardens
Ohhhh yess! If I had two days, this would for sure be my choice! I love this huge garden. I appreciate that it is so full of good tips to bring home. Much more than the garden RHS Kew, I think!
I bet a lot of the trees and grasses do fill center stage at Wisley by now, or is it over? Has the leaves fallen yet?
I would also get to buy even more spring flowering bulbs and maby some perennial seeds, and also beens. Norwegian garden centres don´t do beans. Well they do peas, and maby one or two beans, but that’s it.

Wisley in autumn colours

3. Hatchland Park
I could take a taxi cab to Hatchland, walk in the strict garden and in the beautiful woodland surrounding it. And then walk back to Shere crossing the North Downs Way. The gardens at Hatchland is designed by Gertrude Jekyll and Humphrey Repton.

Hatchlands Park Surrey - geograph.org.uk

 

4. Winkworth Arboretum
I have read that this is the place to be in autumn (and spring) to see the colors! I have never been. Have you?
Would you recoment me to go? I have to Taxi there and back, but it might be worth it!?

Winkworths wonderful Japanese trees!

And after doing a couple of weeks full of thinking about it, I still can´t make up my mind!
What do you think?

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Ending with an Irish!!