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I hope you had an amazing week!

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Random Things Happening Behind the Scenes at Bricks ‘n Blooms

A garden with rows of tulips and pansies in purple, yellow, and white blooms beside a driveway. Trees, green grass, a white fence, and a house are visible in the background at sunset.
A garden bed filled with blooming pink tulips and yellow daffodils, with a grassy yard, trees in blossom, and a white house in the background under a blue sky.

In the Garden

It was a busy week here in the beds and I cannot wait for you to see the gardens in their glory right now! The crabapples are in bloom and my epic tulip gardens? EPIC!

The weather has been really beautiful too. We are definitely warming up and there’s no sign of frost anymore so it is go time! This week, I planted some border dahlia tubers in the side garden, more snapdragon seedlings, the last of my pansies, canna lillies in pots, and so much more.

The gardens have been mulched – which was a huge job! Thanks to Blue Mountain Landscaping for getting it done so quick. 90 yards this year and there is no chance I could do that on my own.

We also opened up the ponds this week and got the fountains and waterfalls going. Atlantis Water Gardens set up a good spider webbing of fishing line to hopefully keep our blue heron out. Cause you know he’ll be back!

Colorful tulips in shades of purple, pink, and orange bloom in a garden with raised beds, a stone fountain, and green trellises, surrounded by trees in the background at sunset.
A stone fountain stands in the center of a garden with blooming pink tulips, raised wooden beds, and green fencing. A yellow house with white trim is visible in the background among trees.

Houseplants

While it is warming up outside, it’s not quite warm enough for me to bring all of my plants out just yet. I’ve decided to keep them indoors until I’m done getting my annual flowers planted. It has been well above 40 at night, but I’d like to see it remain consistent over 50 degrees. So I’m figuring, another week or so.

Pool Season is Here

In other breaking news, we opened our pool this week so summer is almost here! I cannot wait to enjoy time poolside and am looking forward to see if our new puppy Gus loves the water.

A stone fountain stands at the center of raised garden beds filled with pink tulips. The area is bordered by a green lattice fence, with trees and a large house visible in the background.
A garden patio with wicker chairs around a table, a flower planter centerpiece, and a small fountain. Colorful blooming flowers fill the foreground, with green trees and a fence in the background.

New Styles Added!

I’m so excited to share that new Get Your Bloom On T-Shirts AND Sweatshirts have been added to my shop! They are both super soft and I have been living in them!!! Check them out here.

A smiling woman in a blue sweatshirt and straw hat kneels beside a vibrant bed of red tulips in a sunny garden, holding gardening shears. Trees and green grass are visible in the background.

🌷 Grow More, Spend Less: Spring Garden on a Budget

With the arrival of spring, I’ve been crazy busy in the gardens planting, weeding and getting super excited for what’s shaping up to be the best season of blooms yet!

I’ve put together a list of my favorite budget-friendly garden tools and supplies. These are the items that I regularly use, love, and know they’ll help you get the most out of your garden too.

🌸 Ready to shop? Click below to explore my top pics!

Looking for even more garden deals? Click here to see all of my top garden supplies under $25.

A vibrant garden with blooming pink tulips, purple and pink hyacinths, green foliage, and blossoming trees in the background. A house is partially visible through the trees.

What I’m Shopping For This Week

In preparation for planting season, this week has been all about garden shopping! Here’s what I bought this week.

In the Garden

  • Potting Soil – seriously, I need more. I’m already out from the last several bags I bought!
  • Deer Repellent – I’ve got a lot of new plants to protect – the hostas are exploding right now.
  • Neem Oil – Some of my garden roses are a bit fussy and get black spot need it. I usually lean toward growing roses that are more resistant, but these are plants that were planted well before I moved in. They are much more work!
  • Slow-release fertilizer for my annuals – I am going through it quickly while I plant.

Around the House

  • Sunscreen – We are running low and need it now that planting season is in full swing and our pool is open! If you are spending more time outside you need it too. I’ve had a few friends recently who were diagnosed with skin cancer.
  • This drill brush accessory kit to help clean the outdoor cushions. I can’t believe how amazing it works!
  • My dogs are shedding like crazy now. Just look at them and their fur is everywhere. This pet hair scraper is THE BEST for removing pet hair for from furniture, carpet…you name it.

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!

How to Propagate Hydrangeas

Learn how to propagate your own hydrangeas via stem cutting and ground layering in a few easy steps!

A garden scene featuring a vibrant display of white and blue hydrangeas in full bloom. The white hydrangeas are on the left, while the blue hydrangeas dominate the right side. A green wooden fence and lush trees are visible in the background under a clear sky.

Springtime Blooms: Stunning Plant Combination Ideas for Container Gardens

Find the perfect spring look! Get creative plant combination ideas for container gardens, from bold to pastel blooms.

A rectangular wicker planter box filled with colorful flowers sits on a wooden table outdoors, with wicker chairs, a stone fountain, blooming trees, and tulip gardens in the background.

Best Native Plants for a Thriving Pollinator Garden

Discover the best native plants to attract bees, butterflies, and more. Create a thriving pollinator garden with these top native plant choices.

Growing a cluster of vibrant purple coneflower with pink and orange flowers blooming in a lush green field. It's an amazing drought-tolerant plant once established - Purple coneflower care

The Secret to Growing Foxgloves

Discover the secrets to growing stunning foxgloves, even if you’ve struggled for years! Learn about planting, care, pest control, and propagation from a gardener who finally cracked the code after 30 years. Your dream foxglove garden is within reach.

A garden scene featuring vibrant purple and pink foxglove flowers with speckled throats. In the background, pale orange and white foxgloves can be seen, along with lush green foliage and a partially visible fence. Sunlight filters through the trees in this vibrant cottage garden scene.

The Easiest, Fudgiest Peanut Butter Cup Dump Cake Ever!

Easy, fudgy Peanut Butter Cup Dump Cake recipe! Rich chocolate & peanut butter cups make this simple dessert a decadent treat.

A chocolate peanut butter cup dump cake with peanut butter cup pieces sits on a plate beside a fork. Two glasses of milk are on a wooden board in the background. Additional brownie and chocolate pieces are scattered around.

Why Aren’t My Spring Bulbs Blooming? Troubleshooting Tips

Spring bulbs all leaves, no flowers? Discover common reasons for no blooms & easy troubleshooting tips to get your daffodils, tulips & more flowering!

Pink tulips and other colorful flowers bloom in the foreground of a garden, with a large yellow house featuring a front porch and white columns in the background. Trees surround the property under a cloudy sky.

Jaw-Dropping Tulips Garden Tour

Prepare for some serious flower power! 🌷🌷🌷 My zone 6b garden is an explosion of tulips right now, and the vibrant colors against the backdrop of blooming crabapples are simply stunning.

Join me for a visual treat as we wander through the welcome garden, along the driveway, and into the potager’s raised beds, admiring the incredible array of tulip varieties. Deer can be a challenge here, so I’m also sharing my go-to tips for keeping these beauties safe. Plus, I’m sharing an update on our resident fox family and so much more. Come experience this unforgettable spring display with me! 🌷

Watch it here!

A garden full of colorful tulips in bloom with a stone fountain in the background. Text over the image reads: "Tulip Paradise. Spring at its best!" with a pink tulip graphic.

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

The bricks \'n Blooms guide to a beautiful and easy-care flower garden book by stacy ling
The Bricks ‘n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful and Easy Care Flower Garden
  • Have you never met a plant you couldn’t kill?
  • Have you dug around in the dirt with nothing to show for it except a sunburn and a sore back?
  • Do you currently enjoy growing flowers, but are looking for more tips and ideas to level up your gardening game?

Then the Bricks ‘n Blooms Guide is for YOU

Buy Now
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 master gardener who’s been gardening for over 25 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. The tulips are just spectacular! OMG, 90 yards of mulch, can you imagine trying to do it yourself!! Going to watch the tulip tour now.

    Reply

    1. Thank you! I am pulling a whole post together on these tulips because they need to have their spot on the internet – just so fabulous. I wish you could come see them right now!

      Reply

  2. Dear Stacy,

    90 yards of mulch boggles my mind! I can’t even imagine that much…the 7 yards I end up using is enough to throw my back out after a weekend of spreading it around!
    But, your gardens are absolutely exquisite and the love and care you put into every one is evident. Your “beautiful spaces” serve as inspiration to many!

    Reply

    1. I appreciate this so much! Yes 90 yards!!! I wish I could refresh some of it but a lot of it washes out with rains so it needs more every year. I used to mulch 14 yards by myself at our old house back in the day over the course of a week but no way could I ever do that here! LOL!!! I’d be mulching all summer long. hahaha

      Reply

    1. I usually leave them and plant more. I think the ones I have in the raised beds will get immediately planted in my gardens when they are finished blooming in the hopes they’ll return!

      Reply