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Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly 69

Hi there!

I hope you had a great week!

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Random Things Happening Behind the Scenes at Bricks ‘n Blooms

What a week it was!

We spent last weekend in Vermont doing some skiing and snowshoeing.

It snowed with some good squalls and was very very cold.

Chris and I had a great time on the trails.

And since I’m not an avid skier, snowshoeing is my kind of winter sport.

We tried a new-to-us local restaurant called Bistro Seven Three.

The food was AMAZING!

If you are local to me and have never been, add it to your list of restaurants to try.

But book ahead.

It’s not easy getting a reservation on the fly!

after the ice storm in my garden

We had a beautiful ice storm on Friday.

School was cancelled for Tori – which we are always thankful for that.

The weight of the ice and the wind took a tree down in our front yard!

Isn’t that crazy?

after the ice storm in NJ

I thought I heard something fall Friday afternoon but couldn’t figure out what it was.

When I went outside with the dogs on Saturday morning, I found this!

And we are fortunate where it fell because it did not do any damage to the outbuilding it’s next to or the pond.

Our neighbor was so kind to help Chris cut it up and move it.

In the Garden

While half of the week was spent in snow and ice, the second half had glorious spring-like weather!

So we removed all that liriope along the pool garden where I want to add a cottage garden with my cut flowers that I’m starting from seed.

The bed looks SO GOOD now!

liriope in the pool garden that will soon be the cottage garden

But that liriope was not easy to get out.

The root systems on it were tough.

Clearly, it’s a good groundcover because it grows well in both sun or shade.

pool garden after removing the liriope to make a cottage garden

I know the new bed doesn’t look like much now, but it will be amazing when it is finished.

Now that the liriope is gone, I’m going to amend this bed with good garden soil and compost to give my seed starts and new plants a healthy spot to grow.

Oh and while I was walking around I saw we got our first bloom here!!!

first bloom of the season lenten rose hellebore

There are lots of lenten rose aka hellebores here.

And one started blooming this week!

I also cut back the hydrangea paniculatas.

pruning a hydrangea paniculata

They are all showing signs of new growth and since they bloom on new wood, it’s time to cut them back now.

I usually do it on the first warm spring-like day in later winter or early spring.

One of the hydrangeas doesn’t look so great – I don’t think it’s getting enough sunlight where it is.

bricks 'n blooms weekly
The hydrangea on the left isn’t looking so great while the one on the right looks like it had a buzz cut when it was last pruned.

But I pruned it back anyway pretty hard and am hopeful it will rejuvenate.

I’m not expecting much though.

Another one of the hydrangea paniculatas was not pruned very well so it has a flat, buzz cut shape to it.

So I spent some time looking at where the buds are forming and made cuts to encourage the plant to grow up and out, instead of just out.

What’s Happening at Bricks ‘n Blooms

It was a fun week on the blog!

We wrapped up the dining room renovation with a few good coats of paint.

By no means is the dining room finished in terms of decorating, but I’m really happy with where it’s going!

And with the dining room ready for prime time, it’s time to celebrate with my favorite time of the month when my friends and I get together for our virtual supper club.

Cozy Italian dinner party ideas

Come join some friends and me as we travel abroad to Italy where we are sharing some decorating, entertaining, and menu ideas for an Italian supper club theme.

To see some cozy tablescape decor, CLICK HERE.

And get the menu and more, HERE.

best bellini recipe

I also shared my latest video wrapping up the dining room renovation and sharing how to create the cozy table I set for our Italian dinner party.

And I shared what’s to come in the dining room – so don’t miss this one!

YouTube video

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.

My good friend Rachel from the Ponds Farmhouse shared this super cool DIY for our dinner club this week.

I love this idea! What a great way to repurpose something you have by making something unique.

the ponds farmhouse

My good friend Jen from Midwest Life and Style shared her tips for decorating a kitchen counter for spring.

And I’m loving the decor!

midwest life and style

And here is some more inspiration you’ve got to see!

THESE brioche cinnamon rolls look SO YUMMY!

THIS dip.

THESE early spring decorating ideas.

THIS quick and easy no-sew curtain solves the problem!

THESE 10 flowers to grow in a cut flower garden.

I love THESE simple budget-friendly spring decorating ideas using what you already have too!

I love THIS pretty container idea for a flower arrangement.

Cozy dinner party table ideas

Thank you so much for following along.

Enjoy a beautiful day! xo

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6 Comments

  1. I can’t believe how busy you’ve been and how great your house is looking, Stacy. My hellebores are the start of the show right now. I absolutely love them this time of year. Thank you so much for sharing my early spring post. Have a great week.

    1. Thanks Kim! I have not grown this many hellebores before so I’m really excited to see them all bloom! I’m cutting some of them back this week to give the fresh foliage and blooms some room to grow. It’s so nice getting back outside! xo