Joanne's Cottage Garden: Wisley on Mother's Day

Saturday, 28 March 2009

Wisley on Mother's Day

RHS gardens at Wisley is about 15 minutes drive away so is somewhere I regularly go.

For Mother's day Rachel took me to Wisley and quite by chance we bumped into one of her friends. I said how much I had always wanted to look round the alpine houses that back up the display houses and was taken along to have a look round.

What a treat and luckily I had taken my camera which I rarely take to Wisley, so I was able to take lots of photos here are a few to share.

The main display greenhouse is beautiful and as I stand in the door I as usual promise myself that I will devote a bench in my greenhouse to alpines, I used to dream of having my own alpine greenhouse but I could settle for a bench and yes I know that Wisley only manages their breathtaking display with the many back up plants but still one can dream.

5 comments:

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress28 March 2009 at 17:42
How fun. You got a lot of great pictures, and there sure are a lot of pretty flowers there.
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Northern Shade4 April 2009 at 15:09
I can see how you would want an alpine bench after a visit to the alpine house. Their plants are so healthy looking, and beautifully displayed. You would need a backup greenhouse to keep it displayed with such beauties at their peak. It makes me anxious for my own bulbs to appear in the garden.
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Joanne4 April 2009 at 21:41
Hi Norther Shade

Thank you for visiting my blog and glad you enjoyed the Wisley Alpine House. I can see why you are concerned for your bulbs with all the snow. I liked the look of your blog will return to see more soon.
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Hermes7 April 2009 at 08:07
I adore Alpinr Houses and those Primula are so lovely. You are lucky to live so close.
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Joanne7 April 2009 at 13:47
Hi Hermes

Yes it was a real treat to visit the back up houses. Yes I am lucky to live so near to RHS Wisley as we are not great ones for travelling.

I usually go on my own but it was nice to go with my daughter. In fact it is nice to be able to walk properly again and actually do a trip round the garden.
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LYME LIFE written 2009

I started suffering with arthritis in mainly my large joints especially my knees 6 years ago. The symptoms varied and I remember saying that every joint was affected except my elbows to one doctor. I was told it would be hormonal and to take the usual supplements cod liver oil or glucosamine ( I would certainly recommend buying shares in the companies producing these supplements) They had no noticeable affect.

All my symptoms deteriorated significantly over a few weeks, 4 years ago. Hips shoulders and knees being the worst and I started with muscle weakness in upper arms and upper legs. I had difficulty standing and walking across a room. I was unable to walk upstairs and my husband was making plans to convert to a downstairs bedroom. I had seen 5 doctors and 3 Rheumatologists and put on steroids for Poly Myalgia Rheumatica diagnosis. I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.

I have X rays and scans showing signs of osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. I have been retired early from the Civil Service having lost my job not to mention my earning potential.

My illness seemed to progress through my body not affecting the same joints left to right at the same time. I had bursitis in left hip, right hip, left elbow. I had synovial thickening in both wrists. At that time I could not lift and hold a magazine so lifting a kettle I could only do if a third full and with two hands. Each joint in my hands fingers feet and toes were affected. I had swallowing difficulties and many other symptoms. None of this describes the endless and awful pain whenever I moved or the tiredness but inability to get quality sleep.

Two years ago my GP gave me Amoxicilin for a sinus/throat/chest infection. All my arthritis symptoms improved. The course ended the symptoms deteriorated I started a second course the symptoms improved. The improvement was more significant than when I had started taking steroids. This led my GP to suspect Lyme Disease. I laughed because we do not travel abroad but she said they had had other cases in the surgery in the early stages of tick bite and Erythma Migrans rash. She said, but you have not had a bite. I said oh yes I have I had two on my ankles with rashes, March 05 this was confirmed on her computer at the time I had seen a locum doctor. My worst symptoms were waking up feeling rigid and having to painfully flex every joint in my body before struggling to get up. The only other time I had experienced this was in May 2003 during a flu like illness like no other I had ever experienced. At that time I had a bite and similar rash on my right foot which lasted like the other rashes about four weeks. I had also consulted the surgery and it was dismissed as a virus. I walked our dog daily in the woods adjacent to our house where the deer roam, prime tick area.

Thus started my very lengthy search about Lyme Disease leading me through http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ to a doctor who specialises in this illness. He confirmed my GP's suspicions. I never had a positive blood test but then they are antigen tests and there is much research that shows they are unreliable. In my case the year of steroids and many weeks antibiotics could have affected the results. So with a clinical diagnosis and following ILADS International Lyme and Associated Disease Society guidelines I continued on antibiotics for two years. Both my doctors continued to treat me despite the Health Protection Agency advising against long term antibiotics. I am now nearly 100% recovered I have no pain or muscle weakness. I can walk upstairs something I could not do for three and a half years. I can garden do house work and live a normal life. I still need to pace myself and with only a few months to 60 will not be looking to return to work.

Life is such a joy.

Sadly there is much controversy about Lyme Disease and doctors in UK are taught that it is so rare. Well where I live in Guildford I have been in contact with a dozen other people with it so perhaps not so rare as HPA would like us to believe. I am in touch with nearly 2000 other patients through a chat line Eurolyme most had been misdiagnosed with several other illnesses.

Look at UK charity http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ if you want to read more about this illness. There are many MP's taking an interest in the problems surrounding diagnosis and treatment see above charity links into a recent meeting at the House of Commons.

Thank goodness there are some thinking doctors around who have courageously treated me against opposition and I have made such a miraculous recovery albeit rather a lengthy one.

One day there will be many more people who are helped with their chronic illnesses when IDSA starts taking note of what our courageous LLMD’s are doing following ILADS Guidelines.

ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Poly Myalgia Rheumatica, Arthritis, Bell’s Palsy, MS,MN, ALS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Heart Block, Stroke, Psychiatric, gastric problems the list is endless. Not all suffering from Lyme Borrelia but how many are even properly assessed for it.

UPDATE

Joanne's Cottage Garden

Saturday, 28 March 2009

Wisley on Mother's Day

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