Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
tips of pussy willow branches with puffy catkins against a bright blue sky

Easter Pussy Willows

Hello fellow readers, Outside the screened porch is a stump of what was a large pussy willow planted by the previous owners. It was in severe decline before we cut it down last fall. It typically bloomed around Easter, which is likely why we decorate with pussy willows during the holi
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purple flowers and heart shaped leaves next to stone patio.

Favorite Plants between Steppingstones

Hello fellow readers, Last week’s chat about cleaning stone walks and patios without harming plants in the nooks and crannies brings the question of favorite plants between steppingstones or amid patios. I adore volunteers Many favs found their way on their own, like the Lady
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A deck brush scrubbing a natural stone patio

Safely Clean Stone Patios

Hello fellow readers, Last week’s chat about Leaving Lichen and Moss Be brought a rally of like-minded folks (yay) such as Paulette from Wharton, who writes, “My goodness, mosses are fabulous, and lichens make wonderful art.” How true! But there can be safety concern
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A rock with moss in the shape of a hippo.

Let Lichen and Moss be

Hello fellow readers, Each spring, mostly from neat and tidies, the intention to remove moss or lichen from walls and walks comes up. Of course, if they cause a slipping hazard, the desire is justified. But what is it about moss and lichen that folks don’t like? Moss is cute and
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a black and white dg overlooking a heart shaped stone amongst fry leaves and yellow Coltsfoot flowers.

Love Gardening – Love Yourself

Hello fellow readers, Last week’s story about personal growth with houseplants came with a struggle of self-doubt. Then came a recording by Louise Hay with an analogy to starting a garden that I hope will inspire you to love gardening and love yourself. Early Spring Houseplant t
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a green leafed houseplant with orange flowers that resemble gold fish

Personal Growth with Houseplants

Hello, fellow readers. Those who tune into the podcast version of our column know I’ve mentioned the idea of sharing the history of houseplants enjoyed for decades. Well, I finally tackled it, and it turned into a story about personal growth with houseplants. It occurs to me the
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a bouquet of summer flowers including sunflowers and orange Gerber daisies.

Joy of Receiving Cut Flowers

Hello fellow readers, I’ll admit I am not a huge fan of cut flowers, though I find artful arrangements lovely. But I always feel bad when the flowers fade, tossing them in the compost pile when a houseplant gift lasts for years. Recently a story came from a dear friend who bring
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tan beech leaves clinging to beech tree banches

Beloved Beech Trees

Hello, fellow readers. One of the gems that jumped out from The Book of Hope we chatted about last week is Jane Goodall’s closest childhood friend, Beech, a beech tree she asked her grandmother to pass on to her in a handwritten will. You see, I have a beloved Mr. Beech, too, al
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Jane Goodall speaking from a podium with a stuffed cow and gorilla.

Growing Hope-The Book of Hope

Hello fellow readers, What a treat to hunker down to The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams with Gail Hudson borrowed from the library. The subtitle— A Survival Guide for Trying Times. I don’t know about you, but merely surviving seems sad. I like to think of it as
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A white-stemmed birch tree amongst pink flowering mountain laurel with a golden retriever along a grassy path.

Birch Tree’s Strength in Flexibility

Hello fellow readers, When you think about it, the most resilient things in nature are soft and pliable, like blades of grass that bounce back after being trampled. And trees that sway with the wind, enduring severe storms, heavy snow, or ice. Birch trees, one of my favs, have a reput
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