Hi there!
I hope you had a great week!
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Random Things Happening Behind the Scenes at Bricks ‘n Blooms
What a week it was!
We had a gorgeous week here in New Jersey, so I took full advantage of it. I planted 24 bearded irises, 24 dahlias in the raised garden beds, a bunch of potatoes, the sweet peas that I winter sowed, and 6 clematis vines.
And that’s only the beginning of what’s to come!
While I’m secretly hoping the irises bloom this year, I won’t be too upset if they don’t because they may need some time to establish before putting out flowers. But here are the varieties I planted:
- ‘Mother Earth’
- ‘Dream of You’
- ‘Angel’s Rest’
- and ‘War Chief’
‘Mother Earth’ is a reblooming variety, so I’m curious to see what it does. And the flower color is incredibly beautiful too!
As for the dahlias, it’s a little early to plant them, I know, but I decided to get them out of the bags they arrived in and just get them going. I will watch the weather and cover them with a frost blanket if I need to. Looking ahead for the next week-ish, so far so good, no frost.
All of the dahlias are planted in the largest raised bed in the potager garden. As an aside, I hope we have a better season for dahlias than we did last year.
The varieties I planted this year are:
- ‘Cafe Au Lait’
- ‘Penhill Watermelon’
- ‘Thomas Edison’
- ‘Urchin’
- ‘Dark Butterfly’
- ‘Fleurel’
- ‘Jowey Winnie’
- ‘Karma Lagoon’
- ‘Labyrinth’
- ‘Edge of Joy’
- ‘Shiloh’
I also wrapped up the indoor seed starting where I sowed 9 different varieties of zinnias. Pretty soon, I’ll start the calendula, cosmos, tithonia, borage, nasturtiums, and sunflowers outdoors.
Oh and I finally stopped procrastinating painting the arbor. It is finished! Hopefully, we well get it installed later today before we start mulching the beds this week!
What I’m Shopping For This Week
Since I am knee-deep in the gardens these days, everything in my cart and beyond is all about the garden!
Here is what I’m stocking up on right now.
- I bought a few more of these gorgeous solar lanterns because I needed a few more. They come 2 in a pack.
- Since I bought a few more, I also needed more shepherd hooks to hang them.
- I bought another flexible hose for the gardens. While I love the flexibility of them, they don’t last more than a season. I probably shouldn’t even bother, but they are so much easier to use, so I’m getting one for the potager garden.
- Because we had some issues last summer with the lonicera that’s here, I am stocking up on some neem oil. It’s a fungicide, miticide, and insecticide all in one that is organic.
- I’m also stocking up on some organic slug bait too so I can apply them under my hostas, dahlias and other susceptible plants before they become a problem.
- I also snagged more scat mats to protect plants from a groundhog or rabbit. These are a great option if you are not interested in using repellents.
- Speaking of repellents, I bought more Plantskydd. I already did an application on my susceptible plants and want to use it to deter rabbits too. I hope it works with them – I’ve not used it for this purpose before but the bottle says it repels them. We shall see.
- To help protect some plants in the vegetable garden, I bought these wire cloches.
- I bought more Espoma Garden Tone to feed my vegetable garden.
- If you want to try making your own compost this year but don’t want to deal with animals getting into the bin, you should try this rolling compost bin. I have one like this and it works really well!
- To neatly collect the scraps in the kitchen, I use a compost bin in the kitchen like this one.
- Speaking of the kitchen, I just ordered more air fryer liners. These are SO MUCH EASIER to use than cleaning out the air fryer after each use!
- And I just ordered this portable iphone charger because I need one to use when I’m working outside. I listen to music while I’m out there working and I kill my battery between that and taking photos and videos! LOL! It has well over 20k reviews and it sounds like it works really well so I am on it!
What’s Happening at Bricks ‘n Blooms
It was a fun week on the blog!
We kicked off the week with a chat about one of my favorite easy-care plants for shade. If you want to brighten up a shadier spot with foliage and flowers, look no furthers than hostas.
And if deer are a problem in your area, you can still grow them with a few tweaks.
I also shared my favorite early spring blooming flowers to plant for an incredible garden display.
If you want to create a visually appealing and colorful garden that continually blooms, this post is for you.
And finally, I shared an organic way to keep the bugs away from your outdoor living spaces this summer with a good list of mosquito-repelling plants to add around your deck, patio, porch, or fire pit.
Have you tried this before? I’d love to hear in the comments below.
Amazing Inspiration from Around the Web
I love finding cool inspiration from around the web and wanted to share some of what I’m loving right now.
My good friend Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse shared some clever ways to add light to a room without an electrician.
Jennifer from Cottage on Bunker Hill shared some great ideas to plant early season in your vegetable garden.
And here is some inspiration you’ve got to see!
This potting shed renovation is off to a great start!
These easy DIY paper May Day baskets.
These simple tips to make your rooms feel cozier.
This deviled egg recipe two ways.
This blueberry bread pudding sounds amazing!
And this hummingbird nectar recipe is super simple.
If you enjoy these posts, you can find past Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly posts here.
And… If you’re catching up on blog posts you may have missed, be sure to sign-up to get my newest posts via email to stay up to date with everything that’s happening here on the blog and more.
Flea Market Flip Idea: Vintage Copper Boiler Fall Planter
10 Low-Maintenance Garden Hacks for Beginner Gardeners
Upcycled Charm: Creating a Rustic Fall Centerpiece with a Toolbox
15 Fall Garden Prep Mistakes to Avoid: Don’t Let These Errors Ruin Your Spring
How to Plant Bulbs in Fall for a Stunning Spring Garden
Restaurant-Quality Creamy Balsamic Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe
Thank you so much for following along.
Enjoy a beautiful day! xo
