Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly 254
Hi there!
I hope you had an amazing week!
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Random Things Happening Behind the Scenes at Bricks ‘n Blooms
In the Garden
I finally finished planting, can you believe it???? This week, I planted about 1200 spring flowering bulbs. It was a lot of work but will be well worth it come spring! I mostly planted tulips but also tucked in some more daffodils and alliums while I was digging. Both are deer resistant and return reliably year after year.
My favorite allium? Globemaster. I’ve tried others but to me, nothing has the impact like the globemasters with those gorgeous floating purple globes in the garden every spring. Do you have them too? If not, now’s the time to plant them. You can get them at your local nursery but I usually order mine from White Flower Farm here.
I’ve tried other online suppliers and found their quality is not as high as WFF. And yes I partner with WFF now, but I’ve been buying bulbs and plants from them for about 30 years and truly, their quality is high. BTW, they are running a sale on globemasters, so if you want to add a few, do it while you can get a deal!
But I digress.
I also cleaned out the fountain and winterized it together with some other concrete planters. If I just left them, the freezing and thawing of my New Jersey winter would crack them so it’s worth spending a day closing things up.
Oh and we had the most gorgeous sunrise in this week! I’m going to share them throughout this post – seriously, the colors were epic!
Lost the Meno-Belly!
After months of making some lifestyle changes, I’m happy to report that I’ve lost 20 pounds and two jean sizes. Go me!
I’m almost 54 and menopause is definately catching up with me. My metabolism slowed down, I had a hysterectomy a few years ago and the weight has been slowly creeping on. I used to be really active in my 40s running long distance but uterine fibroids depleted my body and unbeknownst to me, crushed my energy levels.
After I had the surgery and we moved here, I became sedentary and that was the best recipe for weight gain. It didn’t happen overnight, but I haven’t been feeling great about it, so I decided to make some easy changes that worked for me! Here’s what I did.
- Significantly decreased alcohol consumption. I haven’t given it up entirely, but it’s more a rare thing versus a weekly thing. I substituted with evening or weekend glasses of chardonnay with these two mood drinks that I love! Strawberry Rose and Ginger Peach. They are low calorie, have adaptogens, magnesium and some other good stuff. I bring them with me when I go places and don’t miss the wine…at all!
- Walk 3-4 Miles every day. This was the biggest change cause I move so much more now. I wear my apple watch so I can monitor getting 10k steps in a day (yes it does help) and the way I get there is making sure I get this 3-4 mile a day walk in. When I am actively planting and gardening, I don’t walk as far because gardening can be pretty taxing depending on what I’m doing, but this has been a great change for me.
- Wear a weighted vest. I wear an 8lb weighted vest every time I go out and it has helped me build muscle, burn more fat, and increases the intensity of the walk. Love it! I attribute the loss of the meno belly to wearing this because it helps get your heart rate up…especially if you walk some hills! I want to bump up to a 10 lb vest now.
- Bumped up the protein and reduce bad carbs. I try to get as much protein as I can in my meals – I even make my lasagna soup recipe now with bone broth and chickpea pasta and there’s no difference in taste.
My Mother-In-Law’s 85th Tea Party
On Friday, I met up with my sisters-in-law, niece and great aunt to celebrate my Mother-in-law’s 85th bday! Can you believe it? One of our favorite places to go is Sally Lunn’s Tea Shoppe in Chester, NJ and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! We had a wonderful time and it was so fun catching up with the fam!
Yikes! I Found Spider Mites on My Monstera Deliciosa!
I was actually wiping down the huge leaves of my Monstera deliciosa when I noticed the telltale, fine webbing hiding underneath. Crap!
I immediately knew it was spider mites. These tiny arachnids (kin to spiders) love dry, warm indoor conditions, and they can spread fast. They pierce plant cells and suck out the chlorophyll, leaving behind unsightly damage. Here is everything you need to know to spot them and, more importantly, how to get rid of them for good.
1. How to Spot the Sneaky Pests
Since the mites themselves are less than 1/50th of an inch, you often see the damage before you see the pest. This is why it is so important to keep an eye on your plants daily!
Look for these warning signs:
- Stippling: Tiny white, yellow, or silvery pinprick dots on the top surface of the leaves. This is the first sign of cell damage.
- Discoloration: Heavily infested leaves may start turning a dull bronze or yellow color and may drop prematurely.
- Webbing: The most obvious sign of a severe infestation is fine, wispy silk webbing, especially where the leaf meets the stem or between leaves.
- The Mites: Use a magnifying glass to check the undersides of the leaves. They look like tiny, moving specks. You can also tap a suspicious leaf over a white piece of paper—the dislodged mites will look like specks moving quickly across the paper.
Immediate Action: If you find any sign of mites, immediately quarantine that plant away from the rest of your collection.
2. Getting Rid of Them
Mites are easiest to control when caught early. You will need to treat your plant 2–3 times over a period of 1–2 weeks because the common treatments don’t affect the eggs.
Step 1: Mechanical Control (First Line)
- Prune & Isolate: Use clean garden snips (scissors work well too) to snip off any leaves or stems that are heavily infested or covered in webbing. Bag and discard them immediately.
- Blast Them Off (Syringing): The best non-chemical control is using a forceful stream of water. Take the quarantined plant to a sink or shower and spray every surface, paying extra attention to the undersides of the leaves, where they hide. This physically dislodges the pests.
- Wipe Down: For larger, sturdier leaves, wipe them down with a damp cloth or sponge. I like to use foliage spray and microfiber gloves to dislodge them easier. (As an aside, this is how I like to clean my plants too!)
Step 2: Soft Chemical Control (Next Step)
If a simple water blast doesn’t control the issue, use targeted treatments.
Insecticidal Soap or Horticultural Oil (like Neem Oil): These “soft” pesticides are highly effective because they smother the mites on contact.
- Application is Key: You must achieve total coverage. These products only work when they touch the mite, so thoroughly spray the top and bottom of every leaf, every stem, and the soil surface.
- Timing: Repeat the application every 5 to 7 days for two or three cycles to eliminate newly hatched mites. It can be a bit of a chore, but worth it for total eradication.
I also like to apply this organic, systemic granule to my potting soil to help eradicate them as well. It works for up to 8 weeks!
A Quick Warning on Pesticides: Avoid using general, broad-spectrum insecticides (the strong stuff). They can often kill the natural predators of the mites and actually cause a sudden surge, or “mite flare,” making your problem worse. It’s not worth using in your home and garden. Organic always!
It’s Time to Plant! Shop For Amaryllis Bulbs
The biggest, highest-quality bulbs always sell out first. Skip the guesswork and grab the exact gorgeous varieties I trust to deliver huge, dependable blooms every Christmas! Shop my favorite bulbs from White Flower Farm here!
What I’m Shopping For This Week
Other Random Things I Bought This Week!
- Reordered my anti-aging under eye patches that helps minimize those bags, fine lines and wrinkles. This is the best deal I found and I am stocking up.
- I’m in the market for new pots and pans but I’m not sure which to go with…do you have an opinion on Caraway versus Hexclad? If so, LMK in the comments below.
- We just assembled this small desk that I bought for our guest room. It’s the perfect size to fit in between two closets and look built in.
- Love this gorgeous skirt for Thanksgiving! IDK I might have to switch up my look for this one. But I also really love this floral one too. Not getting both – leaning more towards the floral one – what do you think?
- Not going crazy decorating in my kitchen this year, but love these simple, festive dishtowels!
- Also love this multi-tiered serving tray for my Thanksgiving and Christmas buffet tables. It’s got the right amount of rustic elegance, don’t you think?
- Cozy pajama alert! Love these in the green so it’s perfect for the holidays. So comfy, fits true to size, and highly recommend!
- I bought this tablecloth for Christmas last year at the end of the season. It’s perfect for my buffet table!
- The perfect bag for fall – comes in other colors too!
- Ok, if this clutch bag isn’t me, I don’t know what is.
- Bought these to add to my coffee table decor.
- These simple gift topper tags are adorable for holiday gift wrapping!
- How pretty is this scalloped brass scented candle! What I love about these decorative candles is they can be reused at plant saucers after they’re done!
- And I love the timeless elegance of these candleholders with snuffer!
What’s Happening at Bricks ‘n Blooms
It was a fun week on the blog!
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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 sweather weather DIY Christmas ornament
- These tips for bleaching pine cones
- This handmade framed Christmas ornament DIY
- Love this DIY Christmas ceramic tree.
- These diy pinecone decor ideas.
Thank you so much for following along.
Enjoy a beautiful day! xo
Those pictures, just gorgeous, especially the sunrise. Please share a picture of the new desk in situ, it would help to see how it would look as almost built-in. Sooo, spider mites, how does the web look compared to other pests, I have been dealing with what looks like white cotton candy on my wavy fern [ also known as the crispy bacon fern around here ]. A very interesting and informative post. Kim
Thank you ! Oh I will! I am painting the room next so it blends in more with the walls! Spider mites on my plants usually looking like webbing – I mostly find them under the leaves but sometimes in between stems too. Sometimes, if I can’t tell I grab my phone and take a pic so I can zoom in.