tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70105149846545420992024-02-19T01:38:54.174+00:00Blooms 'n' SpadesAdventures in my small West London garden.Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-59654653059545199182014-10-30T14:53:00.000+00:002014-10-30T14:53:28.068+00:00The October GardenHas it really been a month since my last post! October really does seem to have just flown by, and the garden has taken a bit of a back seat while I've been busy with other things.
The exceptionally mild weather has left the garden looking fairly good considering it's nearly November. Deciduous trees are only just starting to lose their leaves, and many plants still have flowers that usually Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-50684576976993900572014-09-25T13:01:00.001+01:002014-09-25T13:01:34.780+01:00The September GardenSeptember is nearly over, and although the nights have got a lot chillier here and there's a bit of a nip in the air during the day, it's still quite beautiful and sunny.
Aside from fighting my squirrel battle I've just been enjoying the garden, wandering round with a cup of tea, drooling over the latest plant catalogues and generally taking a week off from any hard work. Over the Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-80916104227270918982014-09-19T14:22:00.002+01:002014-09-19T14:22:54.674+01:00They may look cute, but...!I was busy last week, planting out hundreds of Spring bulbs. I had visions of a wonderful display of tulips like those I saw at RHS Wisley earlier this year. Just gorgeous!
So I broke my back and a trowel, digging down deep into the clay soil to put out my lovely new selection of blooms. It took me two days, and I was pretty chuffed after I'd finished, sat back, rubbed my hands and thought Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-78776205809754353072014-09-15T09:46:00.000+01:002014-09-18T19:19:15.773+01:00In Bloom for SeptemberSummer is still clinging on here in London. We had a gorgeous couple of days last week where the temperature hit the mid 80's...and I was out planting Spring bulbs! It felt quite strange to be doing that in the sunshine, but nice to work while it is still warm.
There are lots of blooms still going strong, not least the roses nearly all of which are in flower again. This is Joseph's Coat, Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-58104644269428215802014-09-05T12:57:00.000+01:002014-09-05T12:57:03.170+01:00Working on the WoodlandI was recently offered the chance to preview eminent plantsman Keith Wiley's new book, Designing and Planting a Woodland Garden: Plants and Combinations that Thrive in the Shade.
If you are interested in creating a woodland garden, or even a woodland patch within your garden, then this book will become an invaluable source of information. The visual appeal is always important to me in a Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-82180607535590302482014-08-29T16:47:00.001+01:002014-08-29T16:47:53.687+01:00The August GardenYeah! If you made it here then it means you discovered my new web address, I am now officially bloomsnspades.blogspot.co.uk. It's nearly the end of August and I can't believe how quickly this month has flown by! I have spent more time working in the garden this month than any other this year, mainly thanks to my major overhaul. As Mr Blooms 'n' Spades says, once I get an idea in my head there's Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-32648038871919805782014-08-20T11:46:00.001+01:002014-08-20T11:46:27.796+01:00The Keepers and the WeepersThe work in overhauling the garden has been continuing, and I'm incredibly happy with how everything looks now. I've been very ruthless and many spots are now plantless, but I think it will be worth it come next year.
Plenty of plants have been given the heave ho, including an extraordinary amount of Sedums and Hardy Geraniums. I think these were plants that I realised I could propagate very Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-81131951736404001772014-08-14T09:29:00.000+01:002014-08-14T09:29:54.611+01:00In Bloom for AugustThere has been so much upheaval in the garden over the last few weeks, I'm surprised there is anything blooming in there at all. But despite the fact I have moved plants in the middle of summer, on some of the hottest days, nothing seems to have suffered, and the plants seem quite happy in their new spots. Just goes to show you can throw that gardening rulebook out of the window sometimes...and IPaula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-66756889723814960452014-08-06T17:07:00.000+01:002014-08-06T17:07:08.380+01:00Working on the Wildlife Ponds.The hard work has been continuing in the garden since my last post, and I am now seriously ready to put my feet up for a while...or until the Autumn//Winter bedding plants and bulbs arrive anyway. I tackled the wildlife ponds, some of which had become very overgrown, and ended up completely rearranging this area at the back of the garden.
I'm not sure the frogs were impressed, they werePaula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-47055250907218448542014-07-29T11:48:00.001+01:002014-07-29T11:48:24.227+01:00The July GardenIt's been a while since I've shown some overviews of the garden, so time to remedy that I think, and to make myself a promise that I'll post these every month. It's always great to look back and see the garden through the year. So, here is late July.
After all my revamping, some areas are looking a lot better, but some are looking a little bare. I removed a massive amount of plants, straggly Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-64561013464845347182014-07-23T13:49:00.002+01:002014-07-23T16:35:46.466+01:00All change!Just when you think you can sit back, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour in the garden, you realise something's not quite right. Something is jarring on the eye. For me, it was this whole area in front of the shed. You can see how it looked when I first planted it up HERE, neat, tidy and full of promise. This is how it looks now after a week of cutting back, digging and re-planting.
Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-91458823949096074902014-07-13T21:22:00.000+01:002014-07-19T19:27:19.753+01:00A Memorial GardenRecently, one of my beloved cats had to be put to sleep. Misty had been with us for 12 years, and as any pet owner knows, they become a huge part of the family and as such, we want to treat them with some dignity when they pass. Misty loved the garden. At the first sign of sunshine she'd be the first of the cats lined up at the door just itching to get out. She'd find a sunny spot and there she'dPaula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-56816592087720213042013-06-26T11:37:00.001+01:002013-06-26T11:37:14.779+01:00Paeonies, Poppies and RosesThese three plants have been the stars of the show for the last couple of weeks. I've been blown away by my Sarah Bernhardt Paeony this year as not only have the blooms been huge, there are also so many of them, 20 flowering together, and buds still waiting to open! It's been a bit of a nightmare to stake though, and I really must find a better solution than canes next year. One of the branches Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-80594182933239424842013-06-10T16:54:00.000+01:002013-06-10T16:55:20.224+01:00Now you see it!Things are changing so quickly in the garden just now, that it's hard to keep up with everything new that is blooming.
Alliums are definitely the stars of the show at the moment. From Purple Sensation, Nigrum, Cristophii, Globe Master, Chives and dainty Ostrowskianum, they are providing plenty of nectar for the bees and butterflies, and are quite Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-41906615192825838942013-06-05T15:36:00.000+01:002013-06-05T15:36:02.319+01:00And it was all going so well.After asserting my point that I don't 'do' red in the garden in my previous post, look what went and bloomed this week.
What a rogue! This was meant to be a delicate pink variety of the Poppy called Viktoria Luise, and it's red, BRIGHT red! My heart truly sank when I saw it, as I nurtured 6 of these from tiny plugs, and they are now scattered throughout the garden after I planted Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-77734847298191971362013-05-30T12:47:00.001+01:002013-05-30T12:47:38.722+01:00Inspired by KewAs I mentioned in my previous post, I was really inspired to add a few new plants to my garden after my recent visit to Kew Gardens. It was the Rhododendron Dell there that really captivated me. En masse, they looked incredible, and there were so many different varieties and beautiful colours that I'm sure it would have been impossible not to find at least one to fall in love with. AddPaula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-39005939678636890442013-05-20T12:39:00.000+01:002013-05-20T12:39:27.484+01:00Garden FavouritesSome of my favourite flowers are in bloom now, or in bud, waiting to burst forth. There are plenty of Dicentra throughout the garden.
I love the way this one is mingling with the Chives and Aquilegias.
And the Aquilegias, my favourite garden flower, are everywhere. And I do mean EVERYWHERE! These are Clementine Purple, a really lovely variety for contrasting with other Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-66904737866200470582013-05-15T06:40:00.001+01:002013-05-15T06:40:30.154+01:00My Fruit and Vegetable Container GardenOriginally, I had the notion of a traditional cottage garden for my patch, with flowers, fruits and vegetables all mingling happily with each other. I tried it, I didn't like it...it just didn't work. I was either treading on a dainty flower in my effort to dig up a heap of potatoes, or stabbing my eye on a cane trying to reach over plants to grab a runner bean. I ended up resenting the Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-91027464738543023172013-05-09T13:07:00.000+01:002013-05-09T13:07:36.050+01:00EvolutionIf there's one thing that draws me into a gardening blog or website, it's photos that show how a garden has changed and evolved over time. I love to see large areas of gardens, the heights and layers people achieve with planting and the combinations of plants, and then how it all blends into the garden as a whole. Without the aid of a helicopter, photographing mine in one go is impossible, not Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-32299122430316085532013-05-06T08:07:00.001+01:002013-05-06T08:07:50.940+01:00Kew GardensIt was my birthday last week, and Mr Spoons 'n' Spades offered me the day out of my choosing (woo hoo!), and I plumped for Kew Gardens, not having visited since my children were young.
Overall, my impression of Kew hasn't changed much. There are some really great areas, like the Japanese Garden and Rhododendron Dell, then there are some areas that really let it down and lack interest and I Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-28499188924788044632013-04-29T15:16:00.000+01:002013-04-29T15:16:27.259+01:00It's all happening now!It's been crazily busy here over the last week or so. I decided to get all the 'boring' jobs out of the way early in the year so I could spend the latter months doing the things I really enjoy, like planting, sowing seeds and taking cuttings, as well as just sitting and admiring the garden when everything is in bloom.
So, I've painted trellises and fence panels, scrubbed a zillion pots, had a Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-54291340388065992512013-04-25T08:09:00.000+01:002013-04-25T08:09:54.132+01:00I'm a sucker for a strawberry!I really am! I love them so much, I've ended up with 6 large beds full that edge my patio. Up until this spring, they were wonderfully healthy and provided me with masses of beautiful fresh tasting fruit.
I noticed this year that a few of the beds didn't look that great (the above one is doing well though). I thought the terrible winter may have had something to do with it, and ordered Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-5767843403642122362013-04-23T06:58:00.000+01:002013-04-23T06:58:06.403+01:00Wildlife PondsAnyone who knows me will be fully aware of my fascination with the wildlife in my garden. I think my family are somewhat immune to my rantings about what creature I've found while out there now, but others find it amusing when I rave about the teeniest frog I've just seen, or the stag beetles I've witnessed dancing on the water.
My main focus for wildlife are the little ponds dotted around Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-21625883391613365032013-04-21T07:20:00.000+01:002013-04-21T07:20:18.082+01:00It's all about the seedlings.They're everywhere at the moment! Now the warmer spring days are finally here, my outdoor sowings are starting to appear.
Radishes, Night Scented Stock, Rocket, Cut and Come Again Salad and Cornflowers are all flourishing.
And indoors, Chillies, Tomatoes, Basil, Sunflowers and Alpine Strawberries are all doing well. Only one casualty of my indoor sowing, and that's the Just Peachy Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7010514984654542099.post-81795398187509809992013-04-18T08:49:00.001+01:002013-04-18T08:49:37.310+01:00Dig, plant, sow, repeat.It feels like all the gardening jobs have hit me at once this week. Not only do I have my own garden to care for, but I also designed and manage my parents garden, so it's been all systems go with many more seeds to sow, new plants to find space for, ponds to clear and patios to jetwash.
My back wasn't thanking me yesterday after a whole day of weeding, digging and planting in my Paula @ Blooms 'n' Spadeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008810455640357013noreply@blogger.com26