Arranged as a collection of annual photos telling the story in slideshows of the land project at The Garden House since 2013.
2022
Special frosty morning near the big pond Winter light on the back track trees Fruit tree pruning in the orchard Cold but golden! A magnificent evening view beyond the orchard Ben collecting up rabbit guards and Matt finishing the willow cutting – Thanks everyone! Di and Jo with ‘Hope’ for a new garden – made in The Garden House Workshop Daffodils in the sunshine, bringing some colour back after the winter. Blossom out in the orchard in April. Beautiful blossom on an orchard apple tree. The rhubarb planted in 2021 forming well in the orchard – rabbit and deer seem not to be interested in our rhubarb The Growth Team from Surrey Choices, helping with the removal of tree mats – which have supressed weeds, but now need removing (currently 9 years after planting). The weeping cherry – exrtremely popular with the bees. The woodland ditch slowly beginning to blend in. Bluebells being encouraged to spread along the hedgerow of the orchard. Dianne pleased with her first creation on a lathe – a calibrated dibber – made in The Garden House Workshop. Ferns loving the wet late spring of 2022 Foxgloves planted coming into flower at the stumpery at the end of May. Top bed in The Garden – including Dianthus, Lupins and Salvia Jenny Greenland, professional artist tries out the maturing landscape for a painting. The Circle in the woodland Professional photographer, Nick Whittle visits The Garden House and photographs the baby coots across the pond. A baby coot is given a feed. Halow – Building Futures – The team were at The Garden House, fruit thinning and weeding in the orchard and finished the day with some woodland path maintenance – and they were still smiling!
2021
Real Snow! Caroline’s fine woodpecker made in willow One of the babies from the first ever clutch of coots hatched at The Garden House A family of Egyptian Geese, hatched at The Garden House The Welly Walk in May, arranged by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), Godalming and Cranleigh District Steve carving out another spoon! Participants working on shaving horses Ragged Robin – Silene flos-cuculi Volunteers about to roll out 30 metres of new liner for an extension to the ditch leading into the woodland pond The Garden – drip irrigation pipe now in place Salad grown at The Garden House (Red Frills mustard, Salad Bowl lettuce, Merveille de Quatre Saison lettuce, and cherry tomatoes) Plants for sale on our ‘pop-up’ stall Helpful volunteers from Halow planting dogwood shrubs Wild flowers growing on the sandy bank by the main pond The woodland pond is looking more mature this year – it is now a home for newts! Slow Please! We are trying to keep the speed of traffic down to support the activities going on around the estate Pleasing growth in the woodland this year – ground during the main growing season remained mostly damp, except a couple of brief dry spells Great to see Nic and his workshop team back in action after the Covid-19 lockdown The new ditch and bridges finally made it into existence after being mothballed as a project through the lockdown period A fine looking water lily of the ‘chrome’ coloured variety in the small pond – Nymphae Barbara Dobbins The Stumpery looking well, created with volunteer help from St. Joseph’ s Specialist School Halow volunteers gathering up hedge cuttings to add to the dead hedges Despite the coldest April in 60 years, according to the BBC, we had some nice pears this year Volunteers with the Guildford group of Surrey Choices helping to pick apples in the orchard Not a good harvest of apples this year. Was it the cold April or just an off year? The glorious corner beech tree in its autumn splendour! Ben supporting Halow volunteers with the planting of English bluebells – Hyacinthoides non-scripta Working on a new section of hard standing with the Growth Team from Surrey Choices The main pond looking beautiful in the autumn sun! Thank you so much to everyone who has helped this year at The Garden House!
2020
Top of The Garden June 2020 Trough pond and polytunnel June 2020 Poppies and a blue sky A badger wandering about at The Garden House The ditch feeding into the woodland pond had a test run in wet March 2020 We’ve made a bridge over the ditch in the woodland Compost bays completed spring 2020 Salad crop – Winter Density and Red Mustard Broom The Garden in April 2020 A honey bee at work on the apple blossom The orchard one late April evening Sky over the estate clear of aircraft contrails during the Covid-19 lockdown The Stumpery created in the spring of 2020 with the assistance of St. Joseph’s Specialist Trust The Garden at The Garden House in April 2020 Radishes ‘Prinz Rotin’ (red) and ‘Ping Pong’ (white) Salad grown at The Garden House Bags of salad grown at The Garden House
2019
Volunteers on tea break, enjoying the results of their efforts in the garden The Surrey Group of The Association of Pole Lathe Turners and Green Woodworkers Butterfly – Common Blue – Some of the great wildlife seen at The Garden House 2019 Apple Harvest Brian at work in The Workshop Chilly start! The Woodland on a chilly morning Trees coming out of the deer guard tubes Winter 2019/20 Great job, The Growth Team! Ben receives a Gold Award on behalf of The Garden House team Wildlife Garden Award 2019 for The Garden House Garden Oak Tree, meadow mown and woodland autumn 2019 Autumn 2019 – Woodland mowing just done The Dragonfly Gate Water lilies on a lovely summer day Water lilies expanding 2019 The Garden in it’s first year of establishment 2019 Woodland Pond
2018
The Garden House Workshop Team Bless you Veronica. Your gate. Bulrushes maturing in the pond Nic putting up a fruit cage Marcus collecting nettles for the compost heap Thanks to Halow volunteers who helped to dig the polytunnel foundations Cat sows the first batch of lettuces in the new garden Thanks to the Halow volunteers who helped to bring in soil to level the new polytunnel Newly planted daffodils in flower Cold looking orchard Snow on the pond A touch of colour – Willow ‘Britzensis’ Steve demonstrating some good winter pruning Snowy pond area Apple harvest ‘Black Cherry’ tomatoes sold at Hambledon Village Shop Bulrushes maturing The Growth Team from Surrey Choices wood-chipping the paths in the garden
2017
Volunteers take a well earned break Halow volunteers help to create the woodland path Halow volunteers with some of the apple harvest The Growth Team from Surrey Choices in the newly dug woodland pond Water lilies flowering in the dipping pond A buggy walk The Growth Team working on the woodland pond Borage and the apiary Wildflowers by the pond The main pond Pond maintenance Flowering Rush – Butomus Umbellatus Winter pruning Blossom time in the orchard Sue and Andy Halow working on dipping pond margins A fine looking early crop!
2016
An apiary is started Making hazel revetments to retain soil for planting in margins Halow working on the large pebble beach A platform to create easy access for activities such as dipping ‘Dolly’ comes to visit Grass left longer for clover flowers to feed bees and other insects ‘Discovery’ apples Plants lined up for planting Newly planted pond margin Willow establishing in protective tubes by pond Woodland after being mowed Looking at pond from Veronica’s Gate Area of woodrush in woodchippings by small pebble beach The Orchard Harvesting cider apples Crab apples Ice on the dipping pond Ice on the main pond A chilly start to the day!
2015
Evergreen shrubs planted Winter pruning The site of the main pond just before work commences First bulldozer work on main pond Clay is brought in to line pond Clay lined pond Looking down the field towards the finished pond Split chestnut fencing of paddocks under way New post and rail fencing visible behind new woodland Trees growing out of protective
tubesA pond is born! Looking towards the pond from Veronica’s Gate direction Green woodworking at The Garden House – the start of things to come! Paddocks and pond New woodland in summer Young woodland Selective mowing to retain habitat value of long grass Looking up hill at the orchard Apple harvest time Winter returns
2014
The Christmas floods of 2014 created a temporary pond for 3 months …Not great for newly planted trees (they were moved after the flooding subsided) Looking down the field at flooded area Work commences on creating a deer fence around a paddock to enable a new orchard to be planted Ready for orchard planting Volunteers help to plant the orchard trees Trees and supports in place Looking towards Hambledon Road The new orchard Orchard establishing Young trees in the pond area before being moved for pond creation The Orchard
2013