Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly 148

Hi there!

I hope you had a great week!

(Posts on stacyling.com may contain affiliate links. Click HERE for full disclosure.)

Random Things Happening Behind the Scenes at Bricks ‘n Blooms

What a week it was!

In the Garden

After a beautiful weekend in Vermont, it was blazing saddles hot here almost all week long. Like the upper 90’s. My gardens did not love it as they were just getting used to some cooler evening temps.

This is about the time of year I get tired of watering every day and this week was no exception. I am done!

Of course, I’ll still do it to keep my planters going, but it would be nice if we had some milder temps. I’ll take a nice 75-80 degree day!

The dahlias are doing so amazing this summer! They are blooming like crazy! Except Dahlia Cafe Au Lait. That one still has flower buds and I’m getting sick just looking at it.

Not growing it again.

More zinnias are getting that end-of-summer powdery mildew on them. I’d say about 25% are showing signs the growing season is coming to an end. Sigh.

The tithonia that I started from seed started blooming and looks so pretty right now. And It’s so tall! One plant has to be like 9 feet tall. I can’t even photograph the flowers unless I grab a ladder. LOL!

Aromatto basil started blooming a few weeks ago and has finally hit its stride. It looks really pretty in the garden. I haven’t found it to hold up super well in a bouquet but maybe I need ot learn more about it.

Got any tips? This is my first year growing it. I bought the seeds two years ago and forgot to plant them. So 2023 is the inaugural year.

At Home

A few weeks ago, I told you guys I started doing Noom to lose a few pounds. And I’m happy to report that I am about 8 pounds down now!

I am not affiliated with them or anything, but wanted to share my thoughts on it because a few of you asked.

It’s a great program if you want to change how you approach your health, diet, and food. I love the app for it and it coaches you daily which helps keep me on track.

You log your food, exercise, water, and it’s been a great fit for me. I don’t feel deprived, still enjoy “forbidden” foods on occasion and am getting fit while losing weight at the same time.

I have about 10 pounds to go, so let’s go!

Another Weekend of Travel

This weekend, we visited Shana at Ohio State. I know, she just left right? Well, it was parents’ weekend here, so we drove out Friday and are heading back today.

We went out to dinner, hung out with her friends and their families, and caught a game! Ohio State football games are always so fun to attend.

But the band always puts on a really good show too! Have you ever seen them perform before? Wow!

And I am exhausted from all this traveling around. But it was great to see her and we had a blast!

A Little More About My Book

From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate all of your kind messages, comments, and shares together with your excitement about my first book!

It means the world to me that you are as excited about this as I am.

A few of you had some questions because you wanted to learn more about it, so I’ll try to answer them here.

Some of you live all over the world and want to know if this book will still be helpful to you. And the answer is YES!

This book is a guide for beginners, those who think they kill things or want an easier approach to growing flowers. The basics of gardening, my approach, and design tips will still help you regardless of where you live.

While you may not be able to grow some of the flowers I suggest, you can find substitutes that will work in your hardiness zone just by visiting your local nursery or chatting with the local gardening extension.

My book was written to inspire and give you the confidence to go out and just grow things. So if you’ve always wanted to grow plants and flowers, have struggled, or want an easier way to do things, this book is for you.

Why should you preorder when the book is published in February?

When you preorder, those preorder sales tell Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.. this is going to be a good book.

The preorder quantity is a good early indicator of a book’s success and can lead to retailers increasing their initial orders. Which I want, of course, after all the hard work I put into writing it.

As a result, they will push it out more in their algorithms to get more consumers interested in buying the book.

So what’s in it for you?

When you preorder, you’ll get a freebie! So save your preorder number so you can get it when it becomes available.

In addition to the book, you’ll get a guide for growing a garden with year-round beauty plus a few extra garden designs with different light conditions.

So it’s almost like an additional chapter that is not included in the book and you can only get it when you preorder.

If you haven’t preordered yet, click here!

What I’m Shopping For This Week

On the shopping front, I am all about fall! Fall garden stuff, fall fashion, fall decor, and everything pumpkin spice!

Although it’s been hot here this week, things will start to cool down, and I’m feeling the vibe! This is what I’m shopping for this week!

• I’m shopping around for planting augers like this to make my life easier when planting bulbs this fall.
• These long garden gloves.
• This organic treatment for the lawn will help get rid of Japanese beetles long term. I already had the applicators, but you need them if you want to try this on your own lawn.
• I love this container.
• This copper watering can.
• These shoes.
• I love this doormat!
• How cute is this fall apron?
• Scented candles keep getting prettier and prettier!
• I love these fall mugs!
• And this one too!
• Love this dress!
• They had me at flannel.
• These high-rise flare jeans.
• And these jeans too!

What’s Happening at Bricks ‘n Blooms

It was a fun week on the blog!

We started the week off with my rustic elegant fall home tour. If you are thinking about decorating for fall or just getting started, there is a ton of inspiration in this post as I shared my home with 29 other home decor bloggers.

So there is a decorating style for everyone in this post!

Since I started decorating my home for fall, I also shared 5 quick ways to spruce up your home for fall.

Wait until you see how easy it is to get the fall vibes with a few quick changes.

In the garden, I shared tips for planting bulbs in the fall to get an unforgettable spring display. This post will guide you through planting, design ideas, and tips for getting early spring flowers.

Looking for ways to improve your garden for next year? I also shared 10 must-do fall garden chores that should be done before winter arrives to prepare for the next growing season.

It’s apple-picking season! Wait until you try this quick and easy dessert for fall.

And finally, I shared a soup recipe that will spice up your dinner repertoire this fall that is super quick and easy to make. Get dinner ready in under 30 minutes with this yummy dish!

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.

These 5-minute cheap fall decorating ideas.

I love these fine art printables. Have you seen them yet?

These braided yarn pumpkins are adorable and easy to make.

This fall home tour.

And this peach upside down cake.

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.

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.

Sign Me Up!

Sign up for my free newsletter to get blog posts, seasonal tips, recipes, and more delivered straight to your inbox!

Plus, get free VIP access to my Resource Library where you’ll find insider freebies not readily available to the public.

Thank you so much for following along.

Enjoy a beautiful day! xo

About Me

Want to learn more about me?

Get the inside scoop about my background, education, and experience, as well as why I started blogging.

Let’s Connect!

If you like this post, please follow me @bricksnblooms on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Or join my Facebook Group.