Kay 2 Blooms Gardening Services

06/09/2026

Check out the colours on the Echevaria Blue Galaxy. The leaf borders have all turned red and orange since its started raining 🌧. A real contrast against its usually cool 😎 blue 💙. This one lives outside all year round in an urn. It plays happily with the Vinca Illumination and Thyme. Its a real toughie.

The biggest Lavender Hidcote 💜 had a short back and sides today. It was on the path by over a foot, and it towers above Crocosmia Lucifer growing in amongst. Im drying the stems in the orangery.

A group of Fungi appeared in the Strulch under the Penstemon 😍 Pretty pink gills. Smelt nutty. Didnt risk it. Im not fussed with mushrooms on my plate. Although a big field mushroom with butter and garlic 😋 👌 is a nice breakfast addition.

02/09/2026

September starts with a bang 😎 Literally, a proper thunderstorm 👌 and some actual wet rain to dampen the dust.

Drizzle again all day here, but still warm.

Some leaves have started falling, winter cyclamen have started flowering, and summer plants are still going. It's all got a bit mixed up.

My beautiful Mammilliaria Cacti has an enormous flower this year. Almost Side plate sized. As usual, the bloom starts opening in the evening with full exposure overnight. The next morning , it started closing. This one was knocked off by the rain, but at least it opened up first. Check out the inside......a long dark tunnel to the gates of somewhere really warm? Spectacular sight.

All the pink tones seem to be poking me in the eyes this morning.

23/08/2026

Petunias. Like marmite, love ❤️ em or hate em?
I love ❤️ these doubles 😍 super bright, massive heads, last ages, nice sticky sap on fingers when deadheading, they have they're own 'scent'.

I planted this huge bowl with a mix of double Petunias, Marigolds and an Alstromeria. Im impressed with the performance 👏 of the Alstromeria. It just keeps going! Looking fabulous 👌

Marigolds are one of my favourites. They are so simple, yet so delightful 😊. The 'fragrance' should be bottled.

Little Lantana flowers in the colours of Fruit Salad chew sweets. 😋 Delicious. Used to be 5p. I'd get Black Jack's and Fruit Salads, remove the wrappers from a few, and stick them together. Then spend the next hour or so struggling to chew them.

Our tomatoes 🍅 😋 doing really well this season. Slow to start, slower to ripen, but taste 👌 😋 top marks. There are 2 plants per leg of obelisk: 3 varieties of red and 1 of yellow. Its a bit packed!

How are your tomatoes 🍅 growing?

23/08/2026

Sneaky antirrhinum grown through into the rockery, at least this one colour matches!

Planted this rockery last season with my lovely 😍 elderly client. We are loving the colour smash up.

The Marigolds and Catanache have performed their little socks off, and have been showing off for months.

Yellow antirrhinum is like 'Hey you guys' 💛 !!

Overgrown Lavender got a short back n sides. We laid out the stems on newspaper to dry for a week, then we will hang it properly for crafting projects over winter.

Willow cave is getting a bit overgrown, but the shape is coming along wonderfully. The Honeysuckle is gleefully climbing up the sides and the self set Sorbus is also joining in. 👌

More to follow.

What is your favourite Lavender craft?







All plants purchased locally from The Barn Garden Centre Oundle

19/08/2026

17/08/2026

My second year exploring the fantastic Rutland Flower Show at the weekend. It was wonderful to meet so many new faces and catch up with old.

The plants were sublime 😍 but the Cacti and Succulents were absolutely divine. Like a kid in a candy store 😋, I spent my pocket money 💰 on a few, and then a few more, and spotted some to go on my 'wish' list.

There were some very imaginative designs and displays of all things 'gardening'. What a wonderful day.

13/08/2026

A few more fabulous flowers from today. 38 degrees. Too hot 🔥 🥵 to be working. Had lots of rests and lots of cups of tea.

Dahlias are amazing colours 😍
Rosa Cutie Pie, a new one on me.
Echinacea Green Wicky hard to find but looks smashing.
Cosmos petticoats
French Vanilla Marigolds have gone bonkers. There are only 3 plug plants here!
Echinacea White Swan is absolutely divine with a honey fragrance and pure white petals.

Which ones are your favourites?

13/08/2026

Rose Garden Project Update
Strulch has worked its magic at keeping the moisture in and w**ds down. Except a few pesky bits of bind w**d that keeps making its way through. Ive been pulling it, laying cardboard and more Strulch over it in a bit to combat it.

Now that it has warmed through the Strulch has a fragrance of a fruity rum cake. 👌 😀

Roses and companions look fabulous.

My favourite tough garden knife 🔪 from Mora opens the bags with ease.

Strulch
Morakniv
David Austin Roses
Peter Beales Roses

12/08/2026

My Cacti and Succulent plant potting mix.
I use Focus and BetterGrow as these are brands I have used for yonks and they are good quality.
I also used Hydroleca clay balls as a drainage layer in the base of the dishes and as a topper for some. Some Succulents I have used Perlite as a topper to stop the moisture, rotting their stems or leaves if they would otherwise be touching the soil.
The growing media is a mix of sand,grit, coir & compost. It is light and nice to work with.
My positive growing message for each plant goes along the lines of me singing to them whilst potting. They seem to like it.
As it is so warm outside, I have been adding the heated air to each pot before planting. (Just leaving the terracotta to soak up the sun).
I have used this method for years with success.

This blue Echevaria was in near darkness and got sunburnt in an afternoon whilst waiting to be sorted. I've chopped her head off and removed the leaves from the old stem. I laid each leaf on its side in a shallow tray of cacti mix. These will now grow into new plants. She even had a rooted baby on the side, so I've separated and planted that too!.
Progress posts to follow.

The last phot is my picture of the solar eclipse today at 1713hrs. You can just about make it out if you squint.
Last eclipse in 1999, apparently, I must have watched it then, too. Might get another one in, if im lucky. 🤔