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Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly 209

ByStacy Ling Posted on Updated On
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Hi there!

I hope you had an amazing week!

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Random Things Happening Behind the Scenes at Bricks ‘n Blooms

What a week it was! Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and Happy Holidays to you all!

Did you have a white Christmas this year? We woke up to some unexpected snow on Christmas Eve and it was beautiful! It only snowed about an inch or two but it was enough to set a vibe for the holiday festivities.

Close-up of snow-covered brown hydrangea flowers in winter. The dried petals cluster tightly, with a light dusting of snow on top, set against a blurred snowy background and faint tree outlines.
A snow-covered garden path leads to a stone gazebo with an ornate dome. Flanking the path are two classical statues, surrounded by snow-dusted shrubs and bare trees under a cloudy sky.

Speaking of which, my annual Christmas clambake was a huge success. And I have to say, after doing these for a few years now, it gets easier and easier every time I make it!

On Christmas Day, we enjoyed a slow morning opening gifts with my kids, mother and stepdad. I feel really blessed with the day as it was nice to see the joy of well thought gifts. Some highlights included a 6’2″ cardboard cutout of my husband from my kids (it was so funny), science barbie for my daughter Shana who graduated with a food science degree from Ohio State and is making perfumes in NYC now, and a ficus elastica tineke plant from my family to me!

And let me tell you – this plant is gorgeous! I haven’t taken a lot of photos yet of it because it is ginormous and currently residing behind the sofa in the living room until I put Christmas away.

We spent Christmas Day at my sister-in-law’s where we did a white elephant gift exchange, ate some great food and overall, had a fun time! It’s always a blast getting everyone together. And we’ve decided to start a family supper club! How fun is that!

After Christmas we spent some time in Vermont but are coming home today. We’re getting a lot of rain in Vermont so not much skiing happening and we all wanted to come back for New Year’s Eve.

Speaking of which, do you have any plans? Tell me about your Christmas and NYE plans in the comments below – I’d love to chat and learn more about you! We are doing dinner with some friends at one of our favorite local restaurants and then coming back to our home after.

A festive living room with a decorated Christmas tree adorned with ornaments and lights. A fireplace is lit, with stockings hanging above and a garland draped across the mantel. A Santa Claus painting is displayed over the fireplace.
A hand holds a brown paper bag with "MOM" and hand-drawn artwork, including "LOVE YOU." A decorated Christmas tree and a fireplace with a Santa painting are in the background, creating a cozy holiday setting.

My Indoor Garden

Remember the amaryllis and paperwhites I planted a few weeks ago? The blooms have almost arrived! These are the first of hopefully many as I’ve got lots of bulbs started.

I’m super thrilled at the progress of my plant room! I usually don’t fertilize my plants during the winter, but lately I’ve been using We the Wild and the plants are loving it. It’s an organic gentle fertilizer made from worm castings and the plants love it. Have you used it before?

Every time I water, I flush the pots out to thoroughly soak them and then water with this fertilizer and they are responding well. Check it out if you’ve never used it before. I am a huge fan.

A potted arrangement on a table with vibrant red amaryllis flowers and lush green foliage. In the background, there's a cozy living room with a Christmas tree and a sofa adorned with a holiday-themed pillow.

Preorder My Second Book Here!

My next book publishes with Harvest House Publishers on March 11, 2025! Did you preorder yet? The Bricks ‘n Blooms Beautiful and Easy Flower Garden Planner is available now for preorder and is a great accompaniment to my first book.

In this garden planner, you’ll find cheat sheets, mood board ideas, garden designs, and so much more! This planner will help you in six key areas that include:

  • Understanding your garden
  • Designing and planning
  • Planting and growing
  • Tracking seasonal gardening tasks   
  • Creating a gardening calendar
  • Reviewing flower and plant performance
A colorful flower garden planner book with a floral cover design. The cover features pink, yellow, and orange flowers with green leaves. The title reads "The Bricks 'n Blooms Beautiful & Easy-Care Flower Garden Planner" by Stacy Ling.

What I’m Shopping For This Week

It’s been a random week of stuff! Here’s what I’m shopping for this week!

  • This cottage style step stool will help me reach the tippy top shelf in my kitchen and look good enough to leave out! Isn’t that a pretty shade of green?
  • I love these brass bookends for the library.
  • I LOVE this headboard for my guest room. Since I’m planning to redo it this year, this one is high on my list!
  • Love the details on this calathea plant!
  • These honeycomb pots are so pretty, aren’t they?
  • This gorgeous planter would look so pretty in my family room! I love that green.
  • I bought these kicks for spring.
  • And I’m thinking about supplementing the lighting for my plant room with this grow light.

These are the most popular products on my blog this week!

A wicker basket with budding green plants sits on a woven table near a window. A wooden swan sculpture is placed on two books beside the basket. Sunlight streams through the window, casting a warm glow on the scene.
A cozy living room showcasing inspiring Christmas decor ideas features a beautifully decorated tree beside a fireplace. The mantel, adorned with garland, candles, and stockings, sets the festive mood. Above the flames is a painting of Santa Claus, while sunlight highlights a lantern and tall plant on the hearth.

What’s Happening at Bricks ‘n Blooms

It was a fun week on the blog!

Christmas Tree Ornament Storage Hack (TikTok Made Me Do It!)

Don’t miss this amazing Christmas tree ornament storage hack! This simple and effective solution from TikTok will change the way you decorate!

A decorated Christmas tree stands in a sunlit room. It is adorned with red and gold ornaments, ribbons, and a star on top. Wrapped presents are placed beneath. Large windows in the background show a view of the outdoors. Lanterns sit on the floor nearby.

Fatsia Japonica Care: The Complete Guide to Growing Japanese Aralia Indoors

Indoor Fatsia japonica care guide: light, soil, water, pests, diseases, propagation. Grow healthy Japanese Aralia indoors with these easy tips!

Close-up of a green, variegated Fatsia Japonica leaf with white edges. The leaf has a glossy texture and is set against a softly blurred background of other leaves and a window, allowing natural light to filter through. (Japanese aralia)

Effortless New Year’s Eve Food Ideas: Ditch the Dishes, Pop the Champagne

Impress your guests in 30 minutes with these easy & delicious New Year’s Eve food ideas. Ditch the dishes and celebrate in style!

A festive collage of New Year's Eve food ideas: chocolate bark with a swirled pattern, two glasses of red bubbly drink garnished with cranberries and dried oranges, crostini topped with prosciutto, and skewers featuring cheese, meats, and vegetables.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cranberry Crock Pot Pork Loin Recipe (So Easy!)

Forget dry pork! This cranberry crockpot pork loin recipe delivers fall-off-the-bone perfection with tangy cranberry sauce & minimal effort. Try it tonight!

Sliced pork tenderloin in crock pot recipe topped with sauce, garnished with orange slices, fresh cranberries, and sprigs of rosemary on a white platter.

Festive Eggnog Dump Cake: The Easiest Christmas Dessert

Easiest Christmas dessert EVER! This eggnog dump cake is simple, delicious, and perfect for holiday gatherings. 🎄

A plate with a serving of christmas dump cake topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a fork beside it. A container of vanilla ice cream and a baking dish with more cobbler are nearby, all on a red tablecloth.

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.

Thank you so much for following along.

Enjoy a beautiful day! xo

An illustration of a pink flower with green leaves on the left, accompanied by the words "Stacy Ling" in an elegant, cursive font to the right—a perfect piece for any garden decor.
Stacy Ling

Stacy Ling is author of the best selling book, The Bricks 'n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful and Easy-Care Flower Garden, and writes the blog Bricks ’n Blooms from her 1850 farmhouse located in zone 6b northern New Jersey. She is a trained master gardener who’s been gardening for almost 30 years and enjoys sharing her passion to help beginners find their inner green thumb, as well as discover a love for all things plants and flowers. Stacy loves to bring the outdoors inside her home and decorates with a comfy, casual, and cottagecore style. Come grow stuff and create beautiful spaces with her.

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2 Comments

  1. Hi Stacy!
    Happy New Year!
    Are you using the quick houseplant fertilizer or the slow release fertilizer?
    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply