Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly 144
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!
Chris and I got a lot of random stuff accomplished last weekend while the kids were away on trips. We set up string lights around the firepit, cleaned out a few things, and harvested SO MANY vegetables. Which is why I love growing a vegetable garden!
We’ve had some rain this week, so I didn’t work as much in the gardens as I would have liked. So instead, we took a quick trip to the Jersey Shore in Long Beach Island for a few days with my sister-in-law and her family.
Chris went golfing but I hit the beach, had some great food, and it was so much fun catching up with the family.
We are heading back today to get a few things done in the beds and soak up some time by the pool before we get back to the grind tomorrow.
Oh and speaking of the gardens, the panicle hydrangeas and hardy hibiscus have hit their stride this week! They are both in full bloom and the property looks incredible right now.
I mean look at this hydrangea! A few weeks ago, the flowers were more white with a tiny bit of pink. I’m pretty sure the variety is ‘Ruby Snow’.
The butterflies have been out in droves too. There are several hanging around each garden and it’s really fun to see them fluttering about grabbing nectar from my garden flowers.
I have some sad news to share…something is eating our fish in the front yard pond. We’ve noticed a few go missing here and there but I was hopeful they were hanging low because the pond fish are still relatively new and we’ve had some massive storms lately.
But I think I’ve accepted the fact that something is getting to them. We had this beautiful white koi fish that was growing pretty fast and it was always around since adding them to the pond.
But now? It’s nowhere to be found. And we are pretty upset about it.
We aren’t sure if it’s a raccoon or maybe a blue heron. The pond isn’t easy for the heron to hunt in but I’m sure it’s still possible.
There are some watersnakes in the pond that could also be dining on them. We caught two watersnakes eating the same frog and I’ve read they can be a problem for fish. So maybe?
And the former homeowners discovered a mink ate all their fish years ago so it could be that too.
So we may set up a trail cam to figure out who the culprit is.
My poor fish! We love them!
If you have any suggestions or good tips for figuring out whodunit I’d love to hear them in the comments below!
What I’m Shopping For This Week
As we head into late summer and my black-eyed susans are already falling over near the porch again. I said I would stay on top of it this year after watching it do it last year and well….I didn’t.
So I snagged some things to help me prop them up and a few other garden goodies. Here’s what I bought this week!
- These garden stakes.
- This twine.
- This planter would look so pretty in my sunroom, right?
- These garden aprons are adorable!
- I love these garden gloves for pruning roses.
I also started shopping for my home for fall. Although I love to thrift around for stuff, I also wanted to pick up a new piece for the family room. Here are some items I bought this week.
- LOVE this console table. I was eyeing it for a while and had to have it.
- These napkins.
- This cozy pumpkin pillow.
- And this pumpkin pillow looks just as cozy but costs a lot less!
- I love this planter for my houseplant divisions.
- This plaid throw looks so cozy for the porch!
- This faux plant is great for those who think they can’t grow things.
- I need this throw pillow for fall! I love the color.
- This full-length floor mirror.
And I needed to stock up on a few beauty items and fall clothes that I love. Here’s what I bought this week.
- I love this eyeshadow primer. It keeps my eyeshadow in place and keeps it from creasing.
- This neutral eye shadow palette.
- I love this eyeliner and bought it in a few shades of brown and black stays put.
- This mascara is great for lengthening and helps open up the eye.
- Oh, and this eye de-puffer is a must-have. They work really well!
- This color corrector is great for those days when you look (and feel) a little tired.
- And this concealer in latte.
- These pants are AWESOME!
- This sweater looks so cozy and comfy for fall.
- I love this flannel shirt too.
What’s Happening at Bricks ‘n Blooms
It was a fun week on the blog!
If you are looking for easy ways to decorate your home this fall, I shared some easy fall diy projects that you can make in a day.
And if you are looking for a way to make pretty fall decor, wait until you see how easy it is to make a simple hydrangea wreath.
I also shared some tips for growing and decorating with chrysanthemums this fall. Learn how to keep your garden mums alive with these practical tips.
And finally, I shared my all-time favorite container garden idea for fall. This post is filled with fall garden plants and flowers to include. Plus I shared the recipe for this gorgeous fall planting idea.
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.
This gorgeous summer garden tour in the Pacific Northwest.
These tips for how to use damaged thrift store finds in your home.
These DIY fall wreaths.
This shortcake recipe sounds divine!
These beautiful fall home DIY decorations.
These cute and affordable ways to decorate a girl’s dorm room.
And this recipe for the ultimate dill pickle cheeseball.
If you enjoy these posts, you can find past Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly posts here.
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Garden Supplies I Use
I’m often asked about the garden supplies and tools that I use most. From pruners to deer repellents, here are some of my favorites in no particular order.
- I like to use a good-quality, potting soil, garden soil, compost, and perlite when planting.
- I have used this deer repellent with great success. But now, I’m all about this deer repellent that is systemic instead of topical. This means the plant takes it in as opposed to it just smelling bad.
- Hands down this is my favorite hand-weeding tool. You can use it to get underneath roots, and loosen soil, and it cuts down on the weeding time because you work much faster.
- But I also love this long, stand-up weeding tool to really get around roses from afar.
- I like to use THIS ORGANIC FERTILIZER for roses because the blooms are more prolific and it’s organic.
- You’ll need a sharp set of pruners when working with plants and flowers. I buy a few so I can stash them around.
- I use these garden snips to deadhead and cut flowers from my gardens.
- Where pest and disease problems are concerned, if I need to, I generally use this insecticidal soap or neem oil to help control infestations depending on the issue. When using, only apply when pollinators are less active.
- This is my favorite set-and-forget slow-release fertilizer for houseplants, annuals, and container gardens.
- Whenever I stake my peonies or other plants, I generally use these grow through garden supports because they work really well and keep the blooms upright.
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Easy Baked Whole Chicken Wings Recipe
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Mouthwatering Pumpkin Dump Cake Recipe You Can’t Resist
Fall Decorating with Plants and Thrift Store Finds
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