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Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly 222

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

Amending the Soil

This week, I spent quite a bit of time amending the soil in my raised garden beds and cottage garden. The soil was not great when I planted up that new bed there last year so we put down a good 3-4″ of compost to help the plants thrive before mulching the beds.

I usually top my raised beds off with compost and raised bed soil to get ready for planting season. It was quite a workout – but I got it done!

A vibrant flower bed featuring orange, yellow, and purple blossoms, with green leaves. A green lattice fence and trees are in the background, illuminated by the warm light of a setting sun.

Planting the Raised Garden Beds

Last weekend, I got all of my winter sown seed starts planted. The beds look a little sparse so I went plant shopping this week and found the prettiest combination of flowers so of course I had to buy them! Look at this combo…ranunculus, stock, nemesia and frizzle pansies.

Close-up of vibrant red ranunculus flowers blooming among green leaves. The petals display a rich, deep red hue and are layered in a spiral pattern. Buds and greenery fill the background, creating a lush garden scene.
A garden bed with vibrant purple pansies, small white and yellow flowers, and tall green stalks with purple blossoms. A green trellis is in the background, and the soil is freshly turned.

Too Much Going On?

With all the seed starting, houseplants, and lots of puppy responsibilities, I was a little lax watering my seedlings and lost a few due to dryness. It’s not detrimental because I usually over plant anyway, but sometimes life just happens. And that is okay! Don’t beat yourself up over it.

Since it is warming up quite a bit, I started hardening off my snapdragons and foxgloves. Yay! I’m really excited to start moving these out of the sunroom and into the gardening. Of course, hardening them off will take about two weeks but starting the process always feels so good!

Happy Birthday Mackenzie!

We also celebrated my daughter’s 25th birthday this week! Hard to believe she’s already 25 and yet here we are.

Close-up of vibrant pansy flowers with deep purple petals and bright yellow centers surrounded by lush green leaves.

What I’m Shopping For This Week

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

  • I bought these obelisks for my front porch planters.
  • I’m also considering buying this obelisk for my cottage garden too! I love the color.
  • Because Amazon is having their big spring sale, I stocked up on my moisturizer cream. I swear by this stuff. Been using it every day for the last two years and it is worth every penny! It’s light, not greasy, and has greatly improved my aging skin.
  • I also bought some earth worm castings to add to my raised beds.
  • Because I cannot stand the flexible hoses, I am going all in on the retractable hoses and am testing them out for you! This is the first one I bought and so far so good, I love it. I bought the 130 foot one.
Close-up of an orange ranunculus flower in full bloom, surrounded by lush green foliage and other colorful flowers like purple and yellow ones in a garden setting.

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

A list of trending products with images on a pink background. Items include gardening tools, soil moisture meters, beauty products, insect controls, and organic plant nutrition. Each has a 'Read More' button next to it.

What’s Happening at Bricks ‘n Blooms

It was a fun week on the blog!

Easy Spring Decor Ideas for Your Dining Room Hutch Cabinet

Discover easy spring decor ideas for your hutch cabinet. Refresh your home with simple, seasonal styling tips and inspiration.

Black china cabinet hutch shelves decorated for spring with faux greenery and flowers -Spring China Cabinet and Hutch Decor

Cottage Garden Plants: Are You Missing These Essential Blooms?

Cottage garden plants for all seasons! Create a blooming garden from spring to frost with these essential flowers.

A vibrant garden demonstrates the benefits of using a good compost recipe and features blooming pink roses and tall purple foxgloves in the foreground. The background includes a green fence adorned with decorative black figures, surrounded by lush greenery and trees. A terracotta pot adds a rustic touch to the scene. Cottage gardening in zone 6b New jersey

Shelf Styling in 2025: The Trends You Need to Know Now

Must-know shelf styling for 2025. Level up your space with these trending ideas & create a stylish display.

A bookshelf with library-style shelf styling, featuring books, plants, photos, and decor like vases and a dinosaur figure. In front, a wooden table with a chessboard and two chairs completes the cozy, classic aesthetic.

How to Grow Stunning Hostas in Pots

Learn how to grow stunning hostas in pots with this complete guide. Discover expert tips on planting, care, and choosing the best varieties.

A garden with a large decorative planter featuring intricate carvings of cherubs and vines. The planter contains growing hostas, their broad leaves thriving. Surrounding the planter are various other plants and flowers, set on a stone and pebble ground surface.

Forget the Rest: This Peach Bellini Recipe Is a Game-Changer

Wait until you try this game-changing peach bellini recipe! Perfect for brunch, parties, or any occasion. Discover how to make this delicious and refreshing cocktail at home.

Two tall, elegant glasses of orange peach bellini are garnished with peach slices and set outdoors against a green, leafy background. In front of the glasses, there are two peaches, one of which is sliced in half, and additional peach slices are scattered around. A perfect scene to inspire your next bellini recipe.

Planting Dahlia Tubers Like a Pro

Unleash a summer explosion of blooms with this beginner’s guide to planting dahlia tubers. Learn the secrets to HUGE, healthy flowers that will steal the show.

Creamy peach dahlias blooming in a garden, surrounded by lush green leaves. A bee is collecting pollen on one of the flowers. In the background, trees and a small building are visible under a clear sky.
Dahlia Shiloh Noelle

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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6 Comments

  1. I never realized Mackenzie & my Brendan were only a couple of weeks apart! 2000 was a good year.

    Reply

  3. I love your garden and your posts! I live in Bernardsville and you great advice makes such an impact in my garden. Your new spring plants are so beautiful. I need some plants for my spring containers and I trust your sources and recommendations. Please share where you bought the plants.
    .

    Reply

    1. Hey Jeannete! THANK YOU! So nice to meet you!!! I bought them all at the Farm at Green Village!!!! The best! And they are getting more in every day. I’m heading back there tomorrow!

      Reply