Bricks 'n Blooms Weekly 287

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Hi there!

I hope you had an amazing week!

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Behind the Scenes at Bricks ‘n Blooms

This week started with a bit of heartbreak.

When we got home from our Father’s Day weekend in Vermont, I headed straight out to the potager garden and immediately knew something had been there. The vegetable beds were absolutely ravaged. The kale, cabbage, lettuces, and even a few sweet peas growing along the fence line had all been devoured. My heart sank.

A pile of freshly harvested leafy greens rests on the edge of a raised wooden garden bed, with lush green plants and a trellis fence visible in the background. — Groundhog damage in the potager

A partially eaten cabbage plant grows in soil, surrounded by green leaves and scattered plant debris. The leaves show holes and damage, likely from pests. — I hope it was as good as it looked!

A lush, overgrown raised garden bed filled with various green vegetables and flowers sits on a stone patio, with a green trellis fence and dense trees in the background. — Looks like it was groundhog party

Monday morning was spent cleaning up the damage and trying to make the best of what was left. I rearranged the beds, removed what couldn’t be saved, and redesigned the space using the plants that survived. It’s definitely lost some of the polished look it had before, but I’m hopeful it will fill back in over the next few weeks, assuming we can keep the culprit out.

The silver lining is that the groundhog seemed far more interested in my cool-season vegetables than my flowers. Most of those vegetables were nearing the end of their season anyway, so while it was frustrating, it wasn’t a total loss.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we’re giving up.

This week turned into a full-scale groundhog defense project. My assistant helped me install chicken wire all around the base of the fencing and bury it below the soil to prevent burrowing underneath. Chris is building a gate for the front entrance, which, in hindsight, was practically an open invitation into the garden. I also spread Plantskydd granules around the entire perimeter and added an Orbit Yard Enforcer near the cottage after spotting the groundhog running underneath and attempting to dig along that side of the fence.

Needless to say, we’re taking this battle seriously.

A raised wooden garden bed filled with leafy vegetables and colorful chard sits on a stone patio, surrounded by a green fence and lush, leafy trees in the background. — After I cleaned it up and reorganized the mess

Bright Swiss chard with vivid pink stems and green leaves grows in a raised garden bed surrounded by lush greenery, near a lattice fence in a backyard garden. — My Bright Lights Swiss Chard after I moved things around

Oh, and I also noticed a chipmunk digging up every single darwin hybrid tulip bulb just outside the potager garden. I think they whole bed has been emptied looking at all the holes…I’m breathing deep.

The wildlife are rough this year!

A partially eaten red apple lies on rough, dark gray asphalt, surrounded by small stones and debris. — One of the tulip bulbs the chipmunk left behind

Thankfully, outside of the potager, the rest of the gardens are looking beautiful. Everything is filling in, and while I occasionally notice a few groundhog nibbles here and there, the flowers have largely been left alone.

The smooth hydrangeas are putting on an incredible show right now, while the mophead hydrangeas are just beginning to open. Coreopsis, Shasta daisies, and yarrow are blooming beautifully, and the coneflowers won’t be far behind. The annuals I planted earlier this season are finally starting to hit their stride too, making everything feel lush and colorful.

Clusters of white shasta daisies with yellow centers and pink yarrow flowers, covered in water droplets, growing in a lush green garden with leafy plants in the background.

White incrediball storm proof hydrangea flowers and bright green hakone grass grow in a mulched garden bed, with a dark green fence in the background and other small plants visible.

One of the biggest highlights this week was cutting my first bouquet of snapdragons and sweet peas from the garden. It’s been an unusually good year for sweet peas here, thanks to the cooler, less humid weather we’ve had through June. They’re producing some of the best blooms I’ve grown in years.

Even more exciting are a few flowers I’ve never successfully grown before. My Bells of Ireland, Dara, and feverfew are all thriving, and I can finally see flower buds forming on my breadseed poppies. Fingers crossed they’ll open this week because I’ve been looking forward to seeing them bloom all season.

A hand in a blue sleeve holds a small bouquet of purple and pink sweet pea flowers in a lush garden with blooming flowerbeds and green grass, trees, and a road in the background. — First bouquet of sweet pea flowers

A hand holds a bouquet of colorful snapdragon flowers—pink, red, and yellow—standing in a garden with raised beds full of green plants on a cloudy day. — First bouquet of snapdragons

Green Bells of Ireland plants with tall spikes of bell-shaped calyxes and serrated leaves grow among other foliage, with dark red flowers visible in the background. — Bells of Ireland

Outside the garden, I hit another milestone this week….I played my very first round of golf with friends.

After taking lessons over the past several weeks, I finally felt ready to get out on the course. I had absolutely no expectations, but somehow managed to finish the day with two pars. Needless to say, I walked off the course feeling pretty proud of myself, and even more excited to keep learning.

Overall, despite a few hungry garden visitors, it turned out to be a pretty great week.

A smiling woman in a white cap, sunglasses, green sleeveless top, and white skirt holds a golf club outside on a paved path, surrounded by greenery and gardens on a sunny day. — Before my first game

Four women smiling and posing for a selfie outdoors on a sunny day, standing in front of a golf cart, dressed in golf attire with trees and a grassy area in the background. — Golfing with my friends Nancy, Arden and Amy

Seasonal Essentials

My Golf Gear (I can use them for pickleball too!)

Golf Shoes
Gloves
Golf Shirts (in a variety of colors!) – fits true to size. I love the racerback.
Two different types of skirts…This Golf Skirt and This Golf Skirt

A woman wearing sunglasses, a white cap, and a sleeveless green shirt smiles while holding a drink on an outdoor patio under a covered roof. The day is sunny, with a blue sky and clouds visible in the background. — The after-game cooldown

From the Week

This week was a little quieter on the blog and YouTube, but definitely not in the garden.

Between caring for the gardens, working on my books, and a few behind-the-scenes projects, I spent most of my time outside enjoying everything that’s blooming right now instead of sitting behind the computer.

Late June is one of my favorite times of year. The roses are still putting on a beautiful show, the coneflowers and yarrow are beginning to take over, and so many of the perennials are finally hitting their stride. Every morning seems to bring something new into bloom.

On YouTube this week, I shared a look at the plants doing the most work in my garden right now, highlighting the dependable performers that earn their space year after year. I also published a peaceful walk through the entire property for those of you who simply enjoy strolling through the gardens with me.

On the blog, I focused on two topics I get asked about all the time: how to choose a garden style that fits your home and lifestyle, and how to design a low-maintenance garden that provides continuous color throughout the growing season. If you’re planning to refresh your beds or thinking about redesigning part of your landscape, both posts are a great place to start.

Thank you so much for following along.

Enjoy a beautiful day! xo