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Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly 265

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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

In the Garden

It has been a COOOOOLD week here! And we are getting slammed with snow right now as you may be too. Chris and I are keeping warm with the two pups and kitties while the snow falls. Hopefully, we won’t lose power – and I hope you don’t either!

Here are a few photos from the snowstorm earlier this week at sunrise – it was gorgeous!

A snow covered yard with trees and a house.
A paved road curves through a snowy landscape with large trees and bushes covered in snow. Snow is piled along the roadside, and the sky glows softly with pastel colors at sunset.
A snowy backyard scene with a wooden fence, plants covered in snow, and tall trees in the background. The ground and branches are blanketed in fresh snow, and the sky is softly lit, suggesting early morning or late afternoon.
A snowy backyard with a wooden bridge, surrounded by snow-covered trees and bushes. A green picket fence is on the left, next to a house, with a serene winter atmosphere throughout the scene.
A large house with brown shutters sits behind a snow-covered yard and garden. Trees and bushes are blanketed in snow, and several plants are wrapped in burlap for winter protection. The sky is pale at dusk or dawn.
A small tan house with green shutters and a picket fence is surrounded by trees and blanketed in fresh snow. Snow covers the roof, fence, bushes, and ground, creating a peaceful winter scene.
A snow-covered driveway leads to a house surrounded by trees and bushes coated in fresh snow. The sky has a soft pink hue at sunset, and the scene is calm and wintry.
Snow-covered trees and bushes stand in a yard after a heavy snowfall, with a thick layer of snow blanketing the ground and a soft, pale sky in the background.
Snow-covered evergreen trees and bare branches stand in the background, with a blanket of untouched snow on the ground and a few sets of animal or human footprints leading into the scene from the foreground.

My amaryllis are starting to bloom! I planted them a bit late this year so they will flower over the next several weeks.

And did I mention I waited to plant my paperwhites too? Not intentionally, but I forgot about them. When I share the flowers in early spring, you’ll know why. Ha!

I am thinking about purchasing a few plants as plugs so I can grow them en masse. And lisianthus, a flower I said I wouldn’t grow again, is on this short list. I’ve decided before I totally give up on it, maybe I should try growing them from plugs.

I haven’t found them at my local nursery before. More to follow as I think this through, but I think I’m going to try ordering a few different plants as plugs to see if they grow better than starting them from seed myself. Stay tuned!

A large white amaryllis flower with multiple blooms on a thick green stem is in front of a vintage mirror with an ornate frame. A plant and part of a staircase are visible in the background.

Best Dessert I’ve Ever Had!

I am not one to enjoy a dessert after a dinner out, but Chris and I HAD to order the lava cake from Bistro 73. OH MY GOSH! It was literally the best lava cake I have ever had in my life. It was on their specials – different from their regular flourless version and wow upon wow upon wow was it good!

A dessert plate with a small cake topped with powdered sugar and a fork pressing on it, next to a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a streak of chocolate sauce, on a wooden table.
A person uses a fork to cut into a chocolate lava cake topped with powdered sugar, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce on a white plate.

Bernardsville Garden Club Talk

Earlier in the week, I had the pleasure of presenting a chat about cut flower gardening with my good friends in the Bernardsville Garden Club. It was so much fun to meet members and chat about the different ways to start a cutting garden in 2026. I hope they left our chat inspired to begin!

Mix and Match Your Way to a Cottage Garden You’ll Love

This quick-start guide shows you how to design your own charming cottage garden with ease. Learn how to mix and match plants, colors, and textures to create a lush, timeless garden you’ll love all season long. (45 Pages)

👉 Explore the cottage garden ebook here​

If you’ve been thinking about creating a cottage garden this year, this is a great place to start.

What I’m Shopping For This Week

Things I’m Shopping For This Week!

It’s seed starting season and I am stocking up on the essentials, plus some other odds and ends. Here’s what I’m shopping for this week.

  • I’m going to a wedding later in Florida soon and bought a few pairs of shoes because I’m not sure which dress I’m wearing yet. I bought these in black, these in gold, and these in a neutral shade.
  • Speaking of the wedding, I bought this dress as an option and would totally dress it up with heels and jewelry.
  • This is the coziest sweater in my closet right now.
  • I needed to update my wool coat – I mean, it was so old the interior pocket were totally ripped! This is so gorgeous and soft. I love it!
  • I never met a duster cardigan I didn’t love and this one is crazy soft and so warm!
  • This green long sleeve tee is the perfect shade heading into spring.
  • I upgraded my apple watch band.
  • Switching gears, I want to swap out my plaid pillow covers in the family room and am thinking about these. I bought several pillow covers from this same retailer a few years ago for my living room because they are mix and match and perfect for year round decor. Quality is high and I love how you can pull a sophisticated, cozy space together.
  • When we adopted our cats, they came with this cat tunnel made from corrugated cardboard that they love. I needed to replace it and found it here.
  • I bought this quarter zip fleece jacket to stay warm while walking outdoors.
  • This light meter for my daughter’s houseplants in her new apartment.
  • New walking sneakers – I have been wearing this brand for well over 15 years. It’s important to buy new when you’ve walked/run in them for 400 miles to prevent injury, shin splints, and sore knees/ankles.
  • I still drink these every single day! Helps me sleep better and I skip that glass of wine by drinking it from a goblet. Just bought a few more cases.
A snow-covered garden with a green trellis fence, gate, and dried plants, surrounded by tall trees and blanketed in fresh white snow.

What’s Happening at Bricks ‘n Blooms

It was a fun week on the blog!

How to Grow an Herb Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide

Fresh herbs for your kitchen! Learn to grow an herb garden with this simple step-by-step guide.

A vibrant garden bed in a kitchen garden with chive buds in the foreground, leafy green herbs, and purple flowers in the background, bordered by a wooden edge and green lattice fence.

How to Make a Terrarium

Learn how to make a terrarium with simple steps, plant ideas, and care tips to create a thriving mini ecosystem at home.

A small glass and metal terrarium house sits on a wooden surface, containing soil and several green plants growing inside. Sunlight filters through the glass, highlighting the fresh foliage.

Start Here: Easy Houseplants Anyone Can Grow

New to houseplants or short on time? These easy, low-maintenance plants help anyone succeed indoors with confidence.

A collage of four images showing different indoor plants: neon green heart-shaped leaves, striped green and white leaves, tall snake plants with yellow edges, and dark, nearly black, oval leaves.

The Best Blue Flowers for Every Corner of Your Garden

Sun or shade, borders or containers! Discover easy blue flowers for every corner of your garden, with top picks for color all season long.

A collage of four photos showing different blue and purple flowers in a garden, including agapanthus, forget-me-nots, hydrangeas, and asters, all surrounded by green foliage.

Death by Chocolate Dump Cake: The Easiest Recipe Ever

The easiest, most decadent dessert ever? You decide. (Only 5 ingredients!). Get my chocolate dump cake recipe here.

A chocolate dump cake topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream sits on a plate, surrounded by chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Nearby, there are bowls of chocolate chips and cocoa powder, with a baking pan filled with more brownies.

Why Garden-Grown Flowers Behave Differently Than Florist Flowers

Garden-grown flowers are harvested, handled, and grown differently than florist flowers. Learn why they behave differently in a vase here.

A vibrant bouquet of pink and white flowers arranged in a cream-colored pot sits on a woven chair in a lush green garden. The blooms include dahlias, snapdragons, and zinnias, surrounded by greenery.
Gorgeous bouquet of flowers from my cutting garden: dahlias, yarrow, snapdragons and zinnias

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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4 Comments

  1. I so enjoy B&B weekly, enjoying it with a Canadian maple flavoured coffee presently. Yes, get the cushion cover it is great. Love the black footwear and the dress. Hopefully the temperature warms for the upcoming wedding, heard Florida is cool currently. Kim

    Reply

    1. I’m so glad you do! Thank you! I would LOVE canadian maple flavoured coffee – I’m surprised I haven’t seen the beans in Vermont but maybe we are too far south. I think that cushion cover works well with the color of the sofa and the rug! Stay warm Kim!!!

      Reply

  2. Please let us know where you get the Lisianthus plugs and other plugs. Hopefully a place where we can order online. Thanks!

    Reply